From Brad Downie

As we reach the halfway point of the term, we have many things to look forward to and also to reflect upon with pride.

Magnify Sandhurst and the Science of Learning

The introduction of the Magnify Sandhurst curriculums across the Diocese this year, with a focus on the Science of Learning, has continued the journey that we at St Augustine’s have been on for the past three years. With the passage of time, we now have the opportunity to reflect on the continuing success of this approach to our programs. 

Building on our work around literacy and phonemic awareness with La Trobe University literacy expert Emina McLean, we turned our focus to the teaching of numeracy. In 2024, we continued to develop staff's knowledge and understanding of more effective pedagogical techniques through professional learning opportunities with Dr Ryan Dunne (University of Melbourne). Ryan’s focus on reducing the cognitive load for students through refined, and shared, evidence-based teaching techniques such as ‘Daily Review’, ‘I Do- We Do- You Do’, ‘Fading’ and the ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ enhanced the teaching of numeracy and reinforces the teaching pedagogies of the Science of Learning in the Magnify programs.

The positive impact of these teaching methods can be seen in the significant growth in our students’ PAT (Progressive Achievement Tests) Numeracy test results from 2023 to 2024. Comparison of the PAT test data from 2023 to 2024 shows that, across the school, our students showed significant improvements in their numeracy scores, with 27% of students one year above the expected achievement level in 2023 becoming 40% of students one year above expected level in 2024.

Such improvements are a testament to the effectiveness of the Science of Learning approach to teaching.

Subject Teacher Conversations

It was gratifying to see so many families attending last week’s Subject Teacher Conversations. These conversations are an important part of the school program and serve a number of purposes. Importantly, it provides an opportunity for teachers and families to discuss students’ progress, with the chance to celebrate achievements and to set new goals for students as they progress through the school year. An equally important aspect of these conversations is the reinforcement of the ways in which the partnership between the school, students and families works. When students see their teachers and their parents/caregivers working together so productively it enhances the students’ positive attitudes about school. Thank you to all those families who were able to meet with teachers on Tuesday. While there were many families who took up the opportunity to speak with teachers on this day, there may have been some families who were not able to do so. If this was the case for you, I would invite you to reach out to your child’s teacher in the coming weeks if there are still matters that you would like to discuss.

Careers focus and Senior Pathways evening

As flagged in my previous newsletter item, and highlighted elsewhere in this newsletter, the month of May has seen a focus on career development and pathways for the students in Years 9-12, with the Year 10 Careers and Urban Experience camp and Tomorrow Bound excursion, the Year 9 Careers Day Out and Years 11 and 12 students attending VCE and Careers Expos. Additionally, Years 8, 9 and 10 students have been exploring the world of employment and career pathways through their careers classes. All of these experiences will be valuable to the students of Years 8-10 as they approach the Senior Pathways Information and Subject Selection presentation on 4th June. In considering their subject selections for 2026, Year 8 students will have the opportunity to choose from the 9/10 elective subjects; Year 9 students will have the opportunity to select from 9/10 electives and/or VCE Fast Track and VET options for 2026. Year 10 students will have the opportunity to select either VCE or VCE VM pathways, each with the opportunity to select VET studies. I invite all current Years 8, 9 and 10 students and families to attend the information night on 4th June and to be proactive in discussing subject choices and pathways over the coming weeks.

Two other events,  the GAT and ICAS, are also coming up on the school calendar. 

For VCE students, the General Achievement Test (GAT) will be held on 17th June. The GAT is an important, standardised test of students’ knowledge and skills in writing, mathematics, humanities, science and technology. The results of these tests are used in determining students' overall academic achievement at the end of their VCE studies. Students will have the opportunity to complete practice tests in preparation for these assessments.

Students from Years 2-12 will soon have the opportunity to undertake the ICAS tests.   

What is ICAS?

ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, mathematics, science, writing, spelling and digital technologies. 

A range of tests are open to students from Years 2 to 12 and information will soon be shared with families, providing details of the test dates, costs and registration processes. The tests will be held in August. Information will be shared with families in the coming weeks.

Brad Downie

Deputy Principal 

Student Learning and Professional Practice