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The HSC First in Course Ceremony will be conducted on Thursday, 17^th December with the list published by NESA at 12:30 PM that day. On Friday, 18^th December, schools and NSW Catholic school students will receive their HSC results at 6 AM. Top Achievers, All Rounders and Distinguished Achievers lists will be published on the NESA website at approximately 12 noon.

Catholic Schools New South Wales will provide each diocesan schools office and RI/MPJP schools with the following information on their HSC results:

1. Data extract from NESA’s HSC Merit Lists

A list of those students who received a ‘First in Course’, ‘Top Achiever’, ‘All Rounder’, or ‘Distinguished Achiever’ award, along with their school and the course in which they received the award.

2. HSC High Band Rankings over time by school

Estimates of each school’s ‘High Band Rate’ ranking across NSW over the last five years. This ranking will approximate that which will be published in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph when the embargo is lifted.

3. HSC High Achievers over time by school

Award rate by school over the last two decades. Dr John DeCourcy will assist with the preparation of this information.

The Hon Sarah Mitchell, Minister for Education announced a new policy for teacher professional development on Sunday 29 November 2020. The policy signals new requirements for both professional development providers and courses, and for maintenance of teacher accreditation.

The Minister’s announcement stated that ‘effective immediately, NESA’s endorsement of more than 750 providers and 42,000 courses for teachers has been cancelled’.

NESA will no longer endorse providers. NESA will accredit courses.

The new Accreditation of Professional Development Courses Policy can be accessed by clicking here.

The new requirements for Maintenance of Teacher Accreditation can be accessed by clicking here.

The new policy will apply from 2021.

Under the new policy, the sectors – Catholic Schools New South Wales and the Catholic dioceses, AIS and the NSW Department of Education  – are deemed to be ‘authorised providers’ – which means they can ‘assess and accredit NESA accredited PD on NESA’s behalf on the basis of meeting additional requirements’.  These requirements are the subject of further consultation.

In addition, NESA is continuing to consult with the three sectors regarding:

• The draft principles for effective professional development
• The detailed scoping of the initial four priority areas on which accredited professional development must be based:
  – delivery and assessment of NSW Curriculum/Early Years Learning                Framework (as applicable)
  – student/child mental health
  – students/children with disability
  – Aboriginal education and supporting Aboriginal students/children.

Queries regarding the new policy or maintenance requirements should be referred to NESA Professional Development [email protected]

The fifth Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data collection on kindergarten children will take place between 3 May 2021 to 25 June 2021, across all NSW schools. Based on the previous 4 data collections (2009, 2012, 2015, 2018) the questionnaire for each kindergarten student will take less than 20 minutes. Teacher release will be provided to support teachers to complete the data collection.

The AEDC is a national measure of children’s development and developmental vulnerability as they enter their first year of full-time school. Five key areas of development are measured:

• physical health and wellbeing;
• social competence;
• emotional maturity;
• language and cognitive skills;
• communication skills and general knowledge.

Principals will receive an email from the AEDC before the end of the year that includes important information on the data collection process.

2021 Important dates

• March 2021: AEDC information packs sent to schools via Australia Post
• April 2021:  Website open for teacher registration and training and school activation
• 3 May 2021 to 25 June 2021: Census data collection

For more information please visit the AEDC website.

Please contact Catholic Schools New South Wales’s AEDC manager Angela Cain for any further queries:  [email protected]

CSSA and Catholic Schools New South Wales invite you to the first 2021 forum. The forum’s theme is ‘Senior Student Pathways’.

The forum will be held on Monday 22 March 2021 at the Sydney Masonic Conference Centre. Keynote speakers include Professor Peter Shergold, Professor John Buchanan, Dr Lizzie Knight, Ivan Neville and Danielle Cronin.

Further details will be made available in early 2021.

To download a copy of the Save the date information please click here.