Learning & Teaching

TransFORMATIVE Learning

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wagga Wagga are committed to providing TransFORMATIVE learning experiences for every student.

TransFORMATIVE learning is relevant and challenging, and responds adaptively to the needs and interests of each student. It supports them to reach their potential by fostering lifelong learning, and celebrates learners who are critical, creative and curious.

It enables students to transfer their learning into new situations. It is distinguished by purpose which is explicit and clearly communicated. It empowers students to be active and informed participants in their communities and the wider world, now and into the future. TransFORMATIVE learning will flourish in the context of genuine partnerships among students, families, school, system and wider community.

View our TransFORMATIVE Learning Statement

Learning & teaching

NSW Curriculum

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is responsible for developing Kindergarten to Year 12 syllabuses for NSW schools.

The NSW curriculum includes the Key Learning Areas (KLAs) of English, Mathematics, Science, Human Society and its Environment (HSIE), Languages, Technologies, Creative Arts and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE).

Each KLA includes syllabuses for K–10 and Years 11 and 12 that are inclusive of the learning needs of all students.

Syllabuses identify:

the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes students are expected to develop at each stage

outcomes and content that describe what students are expected to know and do
cross-curriculum priorities, general capabilities and other important learning for all students.

Stages of learning

The NSW curriculum is organised in seven stages of learning.

Kindergarten to Year 6 (K–6) includes four stages of learning.

Early Stage 1–Kindergarten
Stage 1–Year 1 and Year 2
Stage 2–Year 3 and Year 4
Stage 3–Year 5 and Year 6

Year 7 to Year 12 includes three stages of learning.

Stage 4–Year 7 and Year 8
Stage 5–Year 9 and Year 10
Stage 6–Year 11 and Year 12

Learning & teaching

Literacy & Numeracy (K-10)

Successful teaching of literacy and numeracy occurs when there is a consistent, comprehensive whole school approach, clearly identified in the school’s Annual Improvement Plan (AIP). Individual school literacy and numeracy foci are informed by data. Targeted professional learning and collective action meets the identified learning needs of students. There are high expectations for all students and personalised learning goals ensure student growth.

Learning & teaching

Targeted Interventions

Targeted Reading

‘Targeted Reading – Implementing the K-2 English Syllabus through a Balanced Literacy Approach at the Universal level’ is offered as a professional learning opportunity to CEDWW schools.

This professional learning opportunity aims to increase teacher capacity in the teaching of reading in Early Years (K-2) classrooms to:

develop a deep understanding of the Gradual Release of Responsibility model as outlined in the NSW K-2 English Syllabus
explicitly teach all K-2 Syllabus outcomes related to the teaching of reading during modelled, shared and guided reading lessons, in order for students to become independent readers
explicitly teach phonological awareness, phonics, reading fluency and reading comprehension syllabus content during modelled, shared and guided reading lessons
use decodable and/or levelled predictable readers to cater to the needs of all students
provide differentiated, explicit instruction during guided reading sessions, using both decodable and predictable texts

Year One Reading Intervention

The key focus of the Year One Reading Intervention model is to provide vulnerable students with explicit reading instruction to ensure targeted, effective support. The Reading Intervention teacher analyses student reading data, identifies areas of need for reading development and designs explicit teaching for small group reading lessons in alignment with the NSW English syllabus. Year One Reading Intervention is closely aligned to the CEDWW Targeted Reading initiative, and provides an additional layer of professional learning for teachers to support students with reading difficulties. Teachers are supported and student progress is monitored by a CEDWW Reading Intervention education officer to ensure the continued improvement of student reading learning outcomes.

Extending Mathematical Understanding (EMU)

The EMU Intervention was developed by Associate Professor Ann Gervasoni from Monash University, who partners with CEDWW. EMU is a research-based intervention approach that has shown to improve students’ knowledge and confidence in mathematics. EMU offers intensive learning opportunities for students who are identified as vulnerable through the Mathematics Assessment Interview (MAI) , in all or some of the number domains.

Learning & teaching

Support for Students with Diverse Learning Needs

Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga is committed to the development of a high-quality curriculum for all students that promotes excellence and equity in education. All students are entitled to rigorous, relevant and engaging learning programs drawn from a challenging curriculum that addresses their individual learning needs. The NSW Curriculum recognises that the needs of all students encompass cognitive, affective, physical, social, and aesthetic
curriculum experiences.

The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA, 2008) provides the policy framework for the Australian Curriculum. It includes two goals:

Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence.
All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens.

The Australian Curriculum in NSW has been designed to address these goals with the objectives of the Australian Curriculum being the same for all students. These objectives are based on a set of propositions, outlined in the Registration Systems and Member Non-government Schools(NSW) Manual December 2017 (Section 5.3) , which guide the development of the Australian Curriculum in NSW as a curriculum for all learners. These propositions include:

The understanding that each student can learn and the needs of every student are important.
A recognition of the entitlement of each student to knowledge, understanding and skills that provide a foundation for successful and lifelong learning and participation in the Australian community.
High expectations to be set for each student as teachers account for the current level of learning of individual students and the different rates at which students develop.
The acknowledgement that the needs and interests of students will vary, and that schools and teachers will plan from the curriculum in ways that respond to those needs and interests.
NSW Curriculum provides teachers with flexibility to cater for the diverse needs of students across Australia and personalise learning.

Learning & teaching

Aboriginal Education

CEDWW is dedicated to fostering a welcoming and transformative learning environment where Aboriginal students are empowered to achieve their full potential. This commitment extends to all students, ensuring they are active and informed participants in their communities and the wider world, now and into the future. CEDWW fosters authentic partnerships and engages in ongoing consultation with local Aboriginal communities, deeply embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures across all Key Learning Areas within the curricula.

CEDWW’s commitment aligns with NESA’s Statement of Equity Principles and Aboriginal Education. This commitment is grounded in core foundations that guide learning and teaching programs across diocesan schools, including:

actively seeking cultural advice and understanding; sharing Indigenous histories;
prioritising student engagement;
strategically embedding Aboriginal histories and cultures within school plans;
fostering student leadership capacity;
creating opportunities for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students to learn together;
building strong connections and relationships both within and beyond the classroom;
embedding Aboriginal content and perspectives throughout the school curriculum; developing staff and student cultural knowledge about Aboriginal culture, histories, and experiences;
enhancing staff cultural competencies;
and valuing Aboriginal culture within the school environment.

Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga is guided by the priority areas of the National ATSI Education Strategy

Learning & teaching

Vocational Education & Training

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is widely recognised as a valuable part of a comprehensive secondary school’s curriculum offering.

The Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga (CEDWW) is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 90306) which manages and supports the delivery of VET courses in secondary schools across the Diocese of Wagga Wagga.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) strategically partners with industry and government to equip students with practical skills and technical expertise, facilitating career advancement both immediately and long-term. In the context of a dynamic employment landscape, VET in secondary school offers an efficient and cost-effective pathway to qualification attainment and workforce entry. Consequently, VET graduates demonstrate enhanced confidence and possess valuable real-world experience and move from education to employment with great success

The courses that are offered in our schools include:

Certificate II in Active Volunteering
Certificate II in Business Services
Certificate II in Construction Pathways
Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
Certificate III in Fitness
Certificate II in Hospitality
Certificate III in Information and Digital Technology
Certificate I & II in Manufacturing and Engineering
Certificate II in Sports Coaching
Certificate i in Workplace Skills

In addition to VET programs delivered within the school timetable, our students can access:

externally delivered VET courses (through providers such as TAFE) if this curriculum choice best suits their needs.
School-based Traineeships and Apprenticeships (SBATs). Careers Advisers and VET Coordinators in our schools will assist in the development of Training Plans that set out the way in which on-the-job and off-the-job requirements will be managed. This process involves the student, parents/caregivers, the employer and the RTO.

CEDWW offers flexible Vocational Education and Training (VET) pathways for students in Stage 5 and Stage 6, with course availability determined by each school’s curriculum and staffing.

Students and parents are encouraged to discuss their VET questions with the Careers Adviser, VET Coordinator or VET teachers.

Learning & teaching

Professional Learning and Development

We invest in our staff. CEDWW provides tailored programs for early career teachers, fosters mentoring relationships, cultivates leadership skills, supports growth and performance of both teachers and non-teaching staff, and facilitates a wide range of professional learning and faith formation opportunities to build capacity and support our staff to thrive.

CEDWW partners with a number of Australian universities that provide Initial Teacher Education, to support quality rural and regional professional experience placements for developing teachers.

Universities that would like to partner with us, and ITE students seeking to complete a professional experience placement, please contact pld@ww.catholic.edu.au