Contents
Now Open: 2024 Australian Principal Health & Wellbeing Survey (Ref: 203/24)
The Australian Principal Health & Wellbeing survey is now live. The survey aims to uncover the real but often hidden costs and benefits of changing policy initiatives such as the introduction of a national curriculum and changes to national testing and accountability requirements. All participants will receive a confidential, individualised report on their health and wellbeing status relative to others. The survey closes on 6 October 2024.
Responses are sought from:
- School Leaders and Principals
- Deputy/Vice/Acting Principals
- Retired or On-leave Principals
To complete the survey, click here.
Last tickets left: 2024 CSNSW Curriculum Reform Conference (Ref: 202/24)
2025 CSSA Trial HSC Examinations – Expressions of Interest for Committee Member Roles (Ref: 201/24)
The Head of Assessment is seeking expressions of interest for the following positions.
Committee Members for the following 2025 CSSA Trial HSC Examination:
- Legal Studies
The letter regarding the Expression of Interest requirements for the Committee Member roles with the CSSA and the application process is found here.
Interested applicants are asked to send a Cover Letter and current Curriculum Vitae to Monica O’Brien, Head of Assessment here by 9am, Tuesday 3 September 2024.
Change to the HSC school-based assessment ACE rule (Ref: 208/24)
ACE 2.1.2 Rule Change
As noted by NESA, the ACE 2.1.2 rule change allows schools to develop assessment schedules to suit their school context.
Schools can continue to follow NESA’s assessment settings for number, type and weighting of each course, as provided in the course-specific Assessment and Examination information that is released with each syllabus.
Schools must notify NESA through Schools Online if they use this flexibility. This will involve completing an additional checkbox in Schools Online when Year 12 final assessment marks are submitted.
The new ACE rules come into effect 14 October 2024.
Have your say: 7–10 Draft Syllabuses (Ref: 200/24)
Feedback on the following draft syllabuses closes very soon. Please encourage Subject Matter Experts in your schools and systems to have their say.
The surveys close on 9 September for:
- Child Studies 7–10
- Work Education 7–10
The surveys close on 23 September for:
- Design Innovation Technology 7–10 (previously known as Design and Technology 7–10)
- Industrial Technology 7–10
To complete the surveys, visit NESA’s syllabus consultations page here.
All feedback from the ‘Have your say’ period will be used to inform the development of the final syllabuses.
Any questions regarding the Curriculum Reform can be directed here, to Joanne Hack.
Update: New ACE Resources (Ref: 189/24)
ACE Actions for Schools
The ‘ACE Actions for Schools’ information sheet is conveniently designed to assist schools understand the clarified ACE Rules, and schools must read the rules on the NSW Curriculum website.
There are two types of actions for schools.
- Review – Read the full rule and update the practices and policies within your school
- Take note – Refer to the new rule for key information, like NESA or Schools Online deadlines
The ‘ACE Action for Schools’ information sheet can be found here.
ACE Table of Contents
The ‘ACE Table of Contents’ document conveniently lists the ACE landing Page/Groupings, Sub-group and Rules and is hyperlinked to the rules on the NSW Curriculum website.
The ‘ACE Table of Contents’ can be found here.
NSW Curriculum website
NESA will upload the two new ACE documents onto the NSW Curriculum website in September 2024.
Book Launch: The Divided Heart of Catherine Mackerras (Ref: 195/24)
Join the PM Glynn Institute in celebrating the launch of Patrick Mullins’s novel The Divided Heart of Catherine Mackerras at the Peter Cosgrove Centre on Thursday, 12 September 2024, at 5.30 pm.
Mullins will join The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG (Justice of the High Court of Australia), Ms Anne Henderson AM (Deputy Director, Sydney Institute) and Mr Dallas McInerney (CEO, Catholic Schools NSW) in conversation on the book.
The text expands upon Catherine Mackerras’s original “Divided Heart” memoirs in which she discussed her conversion to Catholicism. Mullins sheds light on how Mackerras approached family and faith, and the influences that encouraged her conversion.
To purchase the book, click here.
Registrations for the launch close on Friday, 6 September 2024.
To register for the event, click here.
Harvard's 'The Principals' Centre in Australia' Program (Ref: 170/24)
The Principals’ Centre in Australia program, jointly presented by the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) Professional Education and the Harvard Club of Australia, encourages the attendance of principals and school leaders across Australasia.
The program will be held from 13 to 17 January 2025.
The 5-day program explores regionally based content including family and community engagement, optimal learning conditions, long-term strategies, leadership plans and instructional leadership development.
Early bird applications close on 15 September 2024.
The final application deadline is 15 November 2024.
Click here to learn more and apply.
New Disability Standards for Education Resources for Students, Parents and Carers (Ref: 199/24)
The Australian Government Department of Education has published new information resources on the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards) for students with disabilities and their parents and caregivers. These resources were co-designed with people with disabilities with the help of Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA).
They can be found on the Department’s website at: www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005
The five new resources include:
- Getting started – for culturally and linguistically diverse parents and caregivers new to disability and the Australian education system.
- How to advocate – helps school and tertiary students with disabilities to build self-advocacy skills and provides guidance on how to raise and resolve concerns with education providers.
- Steps to raise concerns and resolve a complaint with your school – supports parents and caregivers of students with disabilities to raise, escalate and resolve concerns with their school.
- A day at school – a video about the rights of students with disabilities at school and reasonable adjustments.
- Be a disability ally – a video exploring the rights of students with disabilities to join in with every part of school life and how to be an ally to students with disabilities.
The resources are available in English and Auslan. There are also versions in Easy Read and translated into Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Farsi, Hindi, Khmer, Korean and Vietnamese. The content of the new resources was created by students with disabilities and their parents and caregivers, with help from CYDA. Development was informed by consultation with a range of disability organisations and with input from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disabilities and people with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Next steps
A resource aimed at supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with disabilities and their parents and caregivers is currently in development.
For further information on these resources, please email here.
Review of Section 83C Released (Ref: 191/24)
The review into section 83C of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) (‘the Act’) commissioned by the NSW Government in 2023 has just released its report. This report examined section 83C broadly prohibits the Minister for Education from providing financial assistance to a non-government school that operates for profit. This section therefore has the effect of prohibiting non-government schools from acting for profit.
The review considered submissions from different organisations, including CSNSW. The review recommended substituting the ‘for profit’ and ‘non-compliant’ categories in the Act for a scheme that provides for graduated responses and actions where suspected breaches can be treated according to their objective seriousness. The report also recommended amending the Education Regulation 2017 (NSW) to provide that the provision of certain functions and services do not constitute a breach of the requirement to operate as not-for-profit.
The report further recommended amending the Not-For-Profit Guidelines for clarity and making certain changes to regulatory procedures including widening the discretion of the regulator in responding to possible breaches.
The report can be accessed here.
The media release from the Education Minister can be found here.
Smart Farming Virtual Classroom (Ref: 194/24)
Australian Good Meat Education is back for the second half of the school year, offering virtual classroom sessions on Smart Farming. These interactive lessons are designed for primary school students, with separate programs for lower primary (Foundation to Year 2) and upper primary (Years 3-6).
The 30-minute Zoom sessions introduce students to Australian farming practices through direct conversations with farmers. New topics include both ‘Life on the Farm’ (LP) and ‘Future Farming’ (UP) sessions.
These curriculum-aligned classes cover key areas such as farming environments, sustainable agricultural practices and modern farming technology.
Students can participate from their classrooms or homes, engaging in Q&A sessions with farmers, interactive quizzes and learning about Australian agriculture.
To learn more and book your session, visit here.
Apply Now: Senior Manager CSSA Exams (Ref: 193/24)
CSNSW is recruiting the position of Senior Manager CSSA Exams.
The Senior Manager of CSSA Exams plays a critical strategic and operational role in leading the successful delivery of the CSSA Trial HSC Examinations. The CSSA Examinations Division, under the auspices of CSNSW, has a strong reputation as the leading provider of Trial HSC Examinations and Marking Guidelines for 52 Trial HSC Examinations and Marking Guidelines and 48 HSC courses with more than 200,000 examinations distributed annually.
This is a full time, permanent position, working from the CSNSW office located in Sydney CBD.
Applications close Friday, 30 August 2024.
If you are interested in this position or know someone who may be, please share details or view full position description and information on how to apply here.
Nominate Now: NSW Women of the Year Awards 2025 (Ref: 206/24)
The NSW Women of the Year Awards recognise and celebrate women and girls who inspire us with their actions, whether they are ground-breaking thinkers, everyday heroes, social reformers or innovative role models. Anyone from the public can nominate, including self-nominations.
Nominations are now open for the following categories:
- Premier’s NSW Woman of Excellence Award
- NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Award
- NSW Community Hero Award
- NSW Regional Woman of the Year Award
- NSW Young Woman of the Year Award (ages 16-30 years old)
- Ones to Watch (ages 7-15 years old)
Nominations close Sunday, 15 September 2024, at 11.59 pm.
For more information on each award category, click here.
The award winners will be announced at the NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony on Thursday, 6 March 2025, as part of NSW Women’s Week.
Help Prepare for the 2025 Post-School Destinations and Experiences Survey (Ref: 198/24)
How you can help
- Promote the survey: Before students leave school, inform them about their invitation to take part in the Post-School Destinations and Experiences Survey between July and November 2025. Encourage their participation through channels such as school assembly or class announcements.
- Share the flyer with senior students (years 10-12).
- Include the flyer in your school newsletter and social media channels.
Example school newsletter article
We’ve prepared a draft article or social media post, which you can tailor to suit your school community’s needs.
Help us make a difference for future school leavers
Attention school leavers: In July 2025 you’ll receive an invitation to participate in the Post-School Destinations and Experiences Survey. This is your chance to share your experiences and help shape those of future school leavers.
The survey will take 10 minutes to complete and will close in November 2025.
Once you complete the survey, you’ll go in the draw to win a $200 JB Hi-Fi voucher. Prizes are drawn for 10 weeks. The earlier you submit your response, the more chances you have of winning.
Why it’s important
This survey is a crucial way to get insights into the post-school pathways and experiences of our school leavers. It is the best way for us to focus attention on providing meaningful post-school pathways for students.
Feedback from past school leavers indicates that some were unaware of the survey before they received it. Some even thought it was spam.
For previous results and further insights, continue reading here.
We’re asking you to remind your students of this survey before they leave school, so they will know it is an official survey they can trust. Their feedback contributes to shaping the future of education and post-school transitions in NSW.
Disrespect – Stop it at the Start! School Competition (Ref: 197/24)
The Respect Competition invites students in years 4-9 across Australia to show us what respect looks like in their world. The Australian Government Department of Social Services has launched the Stop it at the Start campaign. This community engagement initiative aims to prevent gender-based violence by influencing change to attitudes and behaviours that support or condone gender-based violence. It is a part of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32.
Entries close on 15 September 2024!
To learn more about the competition click here.
For further information on the National Plan click here.
Resource: Life to the full: The mission and purpose of Catholic schools (Ref: 192/24)
Recently the National Catholic Education Commission published Life to the full: The mission and purpose of Catholic schools, with a foreword by the Chair of the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education, the Most Reverend Anthony Fisher OP.
It is intended ‘for Catholic schools to complement existing local resources and provides an opportunity for dialogue to enhance the shared understanding of why Catholic schools exist in Australian society.’
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis on the Role of Literature in Formation (Ref: 188/24)
Pope Francis has issued a letter emphasizing the “value of reading novels and poems as part of one’s path to personal maturity”, particularly for those preparing for the priesthood. The letter advocates for a significant shift in how priesthood candidates view and value readings.
In his message, the Pope highlights several key benefits of engaging with quality literature. He describes good literature as providing solace during challenging times, such as periods of fatigue, frustration, disappointment, or setbacks. Additionally, the Pope emphasizes literature’s role as an educational tool, its ability to promote critical thinking and reasoning skills, enhance human empathy and emotional intelligence, and foster spiritual receptiveness.
By encouraging this renewed focus on literary works, Pope Francis aims to cultivate well-rounded, emotionally intelligent, and spiritually open believers. To access the letter, click here.
Have Your Say – Social Media Use and Impacts (Ref: 196/24)
The NSW Government wants to hear your opinion on social media, including how it is used and concerns regarding safety, misinformation, online hate and extremism.
Responses will be communicated to policymakers, experts, academics and young people at the Social Media Summit on Thursday 10 October. This event aims to formulate practical solutions towards a safer and more positive online environment.
To have your say, complete the survey before 8 September 2024.
To access the survey, click here.
To learn more about the Social Media Summit, click here.
Spotlight on Cyberbullying Resources (Ref: 190/24)
The Minister for Education has just released a suite of new online resources to support school communities navigating cyberbullying.
The Spotlight on Cyberbullying resources have been developed in collaboration with NSW Chief Behaviour Advisor Donna Cross and federal eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. They include downloadable material, professional learning programs and resources for students, parents and carers.
To access the resources click here.