Message from the

Director

Dear colleagues,

At a time when national discussions about education teeter between critique and commendation, Armidale Catholic Schools have sculpted a narrative that champions resilience, innovation, and excellence. Jason Clare (Federal Minister for Education) recently said that, “If you’re a child from a poor family or from the bush or an Indigenous Australian, you are three times more likely to fall behind at school”. The Armidale Catholic Schools results are exciting when you position them against the backdrop of rural, regional, and remote education, where they have consistently excelled well above the mean scores of that part of Australia.

Uninterrupted literacy blocks in primary schools have been our golden standard, allowing us to employ direct instruction and guided reading. This reflects a consistency of teaching practice across all of our schools. By using rigorous data analysis and benchmarking, we don’t just identify students; we recognise their aspirations, support their journey, all built upon a robust foundation in literacy and numeracy instruction.

Click here to read the full media release.

Best wishes,

Chris Smyth