All schools including Sydney Catholic Schools follow the same Kindergarten to Year 12 curriculum, with our Catholic values underpinning everything that we do.
With a focus on the development of the whole person, courses offered at the school cover the NESA syllabus requirements – developing the core skills of literacy and numeracy – and our Archdiocesan Religious Education curriculum.
Our teachers extend and challenge students to be the best they can be, while recognising that every student is unique and learns differently.
Creative and Performing Arts gives students experiences in the visual arts, music, drama and dance.
Through our Amadeus Music Education Program, every student will receive quality instruction from a specialist classroom music teacher. Students in Years 3–8 will receive tuition in weekly small-group lessons on an orchestral instrument, as well as ensemble lessons. For more information, please visit the Amadeus Music Education Program page on the Sydney Catholic Schools website.
Religious Education is at the heart of Catholic education. It informs all aspects of school life and supports the evangelising and catechising mission of the Catholic Church. Through Religious Education, young people come to know and love the person of Jesus Christ.
All students are expected to participate in the religious life of the school. This includes their participation in Religious Education classes, their study of the Archdiocesan curriculum and their use of the To Know, Worship and Love textbooks and resources.
Students in Years 7–12 are invited into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God through their exploration of the Scriptures, their participation in personal and communal prayer and their living out of Catholic social and moral teaching.
The secondary RE curriculum provides opportunities for young people to ‘see, judge and act’ in response to Jesus’ great commandment to love God and love others and thus, ‘live life to the full’.
Literacy is the effective use of knowledge and skills to interpret and use language confidently for learning, communicating and engaging in society. It involves the integration of listening, speaking, reading, viewing, creating, writing and critical thinking. These skills are applied in different curriculum areas for a variety of purposes.
The Sydney Catholic Schools Statement on Literacy provides further elaboration on the principles of literacy and various roles within and across our schools.
K–6
In English ‘students learn to read, write, speak, view and represent language. They learn about the English language and literature through working with a wide range of spoken, visual, multimedia and digital texts. Students learn how language varies according to context, and how to communicate with a range of audiences for different purposes. They learn to read for information and pleasure. Students gain a sound grasp of language structures, punctuation, spelling and grammar. They also learn to think in ways that are imaginative, creative and critical.’ – NSW Education Standards Authority, Parent Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses.
Years 7–10
The Board Developed syllabus is to be studied substantially throughout each of Years 7–10. 400 hours to be completed by the end of Year 10.
Numeracy is the effective use of Mathematics to meet the demands of daily learning and life. Numeracy takes place across the curriculum and throughout the school day in a variety of contexts.
The Sydney Catholic Schools Statement on Numeracy provides further elaboration on the principles of numeracy and various roles within and across our schools.
K–6
In Kindergarten to Year 6, Mathematics ‘focuses on developing students’ mathematical understanding, fluency, communication, reasoning and problem-solving through their study of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. These capabilities enable students to respond to familiar and unfamiliar situations, using strategies to make decisions and solve problems relevant to their further education and everyday lives.’ – NSW Education Standards Authority, Parent Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses.
Years 7–10
The Board Developed syllabus is to be studied substantially throughout each of Years 7–10. 400 hours to be completed by the end of Year 10.
K-6
The Science syllabus covers Science and Technology for Kindergarten to Year 6 students.
Science and Technology ‘fosters in students a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Students are encouraged to embrace new concepts and to learn through trialling, testing and refining ideas. They are supported to participate responsibly in developing innovative ideas and solutions in response to questions and opportunities relevant to them and the world around them.’ – NSW Education Standards Authority, Parent Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses.
Science Years 7–10
The Board Developed syllabus is to be studied substantially throughout each of Years 7–10. 400 hours to be completed by the end of Year 10.
Technology Years 7–8
The Board Developed Technology Mandatory syllabus to be studied for 200 hours in Years 7–8.
K–6
History provides opportunities for students to explore the past and the present through personal, family and local community histories; British colonisation and Indigenous peoples; the Australian democracy; and new topics, such as migration. The curriculum will focus on the sources of history and the question, ‘How do we know?’ as well as historical concepts such as ‘cause and effect’ and ‘change and continuity’ and on historical skills, such as sequencing time, source analysis and historical perspectives.
Years 7–10
The Board Developed syllabuses are to be studied substantially throughout each of Years 7–10. 400 hours to be completed by the end of Year 10, including 100 hours each of History and Geography in each Stage.
K–6
Geography provides students with opportunities to investigate environments and communities across local and global scales and undertake inquiry-based learning to explore and understand the world. Students will learn about the natural and human features of places, the reasons places change and identify the active role of citizens in the care of places. The curriculum will focus on contemporary geographical concepts such as place and sustainability and on geographical skills and tools such as spatial technologies with an emphasis on the role of fieldwork in geographical inquiry.
Years 7–10
The Board Developed syllabuses are to be studied substantially throughout each of Years 7–10. 400 hours to be completed by the end of Year 10, including 100 hours each of History and Geography in each Stage.
K–6
‘Through Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) students develop self management, interpersonal and movement skills to help them become empowered, self-confident and socially responsible citizens. The learning experiences in PDHPE provide students with a foundation to actively contribute to, and advocate for the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others in the community and beyond school. Students are provided with opportunities to participate in physical activity to develop movement skills and recognise the impact of physical activity on health and wellbeing.’ – NSW Education Standards Authority, Parent Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses.
Years 7–10
The Board Developed mandatory 300-hour integrated syllabus in Personal Development, Health and Physical Education to be studied in each of Years 7–10.
Years 7–10
100 hours to be completed in one Board Developed syllabus or Board Endorsed language course over one continuous 12-month period between Years 7–10 but preferably in Years 7–8.
To cater for the variety of interests and abilities of our students, we offer a range of VET courses that enable students to achieve nationally-recognised VET qualifications at certificate levels I, II and III.
VET courses provide students with practical learning that gives them a head start with their career, and many may be counted towards the ATAR and are suitable for students on both academic and vocational pathways.
All courses have dual accreditation with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).
For students who are committed to a vocational pathway, they can access one of Sydney Catholic Schools’ four industry-standard trade training/skills centres where they have the opportunity to gain their HSC with a focus on vocational programs and School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs).