Principal's Message 

A Learning Prayer 

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of learning and growth. Bless our students, teachers, and community as we strive for wisdom and success. May our efforts bear fruit, and may we always seek knowledge with joy and gratitude.

Amen.

Back to Basics: A Positive Shift in Learning at St. Andrews

A renewed focus on foundational skills in reading and maths is yielding outstanding results at St. Andrews. Over the past year, our students have benefited from a structured approach to learning that is already showing significant improvements.

Last year, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) introduced explicit instruction across its nearly 300 schools, including St. Andrews. This method ensures that students learn step by step, with clear explanations, demonstrations, and a strong emphasis on phonics in reading.

The results speak for themselves. St. Andrews School, Clayton South, has been ranked in the top 10 most improved schools in Year 3 numeracy proficiency, with an impressive 18.5% increase. This promising result highlights the effectiveness of this structured teaching approach.

"While it’s still early days, we are already starting to see positive changes in student learning outcomes," said MACS Executive Director Edward Simons. "Importantly, we are also hearing that our students, their parents, and our teachers are enjoying this way of learning."

The organisation also expects to see additional improvements when NAPLAN results come out later this year. Stay tuned for more updates on how our students are thriving with this approach! The full article outlining the Top 10 Schools and how Catholic schools are reaping the benefits of a ‘back to basics’ overhaul can be found in The Age on this link.

Teachers at St. Andrews have also noted increased student engagement and knowledge retention. The structured approach has minimised gaps in learning and ensured that students retain information even after long breaks, strengthening their working memory. 

Additionally, the confidence of our educators has grown as they witness improved classroom outcomes. 

At St. Andrews, we remain committed to ensuring that every child builds strong literacy and numeracy foundations. We look forward to continued progress as we embed these teaching methods into our classrooms.

Regards,

Brian Martin

Principal