Teaching & Learning

As we approach the conclusion of Term 3, it is worth taking a moment to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students, staff and families, and to reflect on what has been a highly successful period for our college community.

Term 3 has also showcased the strength of our extra-curricular programs, which continue to provide students with rich opportunities beyond the classroom. A particular highlight was our college production of A Wrinkle in Time. Productions such as these are only possible through the dedication of students, staff and families, and they serve as a wonderful reminder of the creativity and community spirit that make our college, and the Castlemaine region, such a beautiful place.

Alongside these celebrations, significant work has been undertaken to prepare for the future. Throughout the term, staff have worked collaboratively developing our courses for 2027, ensuring that our curriculum continues to provide engaging, challenging and relevant learning opportunities for students. We have also completed our Year 10 and Year 11 course counselling processes. Decisions about future pathways and subject selections are significant milestones for young people and their families. We sincerely thank our students and families for the thoughtful and reflective way they have approached these choices, and our staff for the care and guidance they have provided throughout the process.

The final week of the term sees another important milestone, with our first Trial Examination Week for Year 12 students. These examinations provide an invaluable opportunity for students to experience exam conditions, refine their preparation strategies and receive detailed feedback from experienced examiners. We know that this opportunity will help our students build confidence and place them in an excellent position as they prepare for their final examinations later in the year.

As the term concludes, I also have the exciting opportunity to travel to France alongside three staff members and twenty-six students as part of our exchange program. This three-week cultural experience promises to be an incredible learning opportunity. Our students will immerse themselves in a new language and culture, embrace the challenges and rewards of living with host families, and develop independence, resilience and global perspectives through their experiences abroad. We wish all of our travellers, myself included, a safe, enjoyable and enriching journey. We look forward to sharing stories and experiences with the community upon our return.

As we turn our attention to Term 4, there is much to anticipate. The final term represents the culmination of what has been a fantastic year of learning, growth and achievement. It will also be a special time as we celebrate our Year 12 students and their final weeks of secondary schooling. We look forward to recognising their contributions, supporting them through their final preparations, and celebrating the significant milestone of completing their school journey.

Thank you to our students, staff and families for your ongoing commitment, support and partnership. Together, we continue to create a culture where students can thrive, achieve and look confidently towards the future.

We look forward to an exciting and rewarding Term 4.

Literacy Development at Castlemaine Secondary College

We are pleased to see that our NAPLAN Literacy results showed marked overall improvement this year. While NAPLAN is only a snapshot of students’ skills, the results provide valuable information that helps our Junior School English team identify strengths and areas for further development, particularly in Language Conventions and Writing.

One current focus across Years 7–9 is using paragraphs effectively to communicate ideas. Students are explicitly learning how to organise, develop and connect their ideas so that their writing is clear and purposeful. We are also continuing our professional learning in The Writing Revolution program, with teachers now incorporating this approach into Junior English classrooms.

Individual NAPLAN reports for Year 7s and Year 9s have been sent home to families. We encourage parents and carers to take some time to look at the report with their young person, celebrating their strengths and discussing areas where they can continue to grow.

Finally, we encourage families to make time for reading for pleasure. We know it can be challenging to get teenagers away from screens, but regular reading is one of the best ways to build vocabulary, comprehension and confidence with language. These skills are valuable both at school and in everyday life. Andrea McDonald our fantastic teacher librarian is happy to support students to find books that suit their reading level and interests - students should pop in to the library during lunchtime opening times to find out more and get some support to find a text that sparks their interest.

Curriculum & Assessment

At the end of Term 3 CSC was represented at a forum hosted by the Australian Council for Educational Research that unpacked the newly published 2025 PISA data to consider how its findings might impact our school at a grassroots level. PISA is a global testing program by the OECD that evaluates educational performance of 15-year-olds across more than 80 participating countries in four-year cycles - or the "World Cup of Education" as it's known by assessment boffins!

The forum essentially celebrated the excellence of Australian education while maintaining a laser-like focus on what needs to be improved, especially given the massification of AI use in society. Australia currently sits in the top 10-12% of OECD countries though it is true that Australian Maths and Reading results have declined in many states, mirroring an international phenomenon.

Dr Andreas Schleicher, the OECD's Director for Education & Skills, who oversees PISA testing, spoke from Paris, noting there is "actually not that much variability between public and independent schools in Australia" and that the core issue is the "variability between classrooms in schools" in terms of quality teaching, rather than between schools. Prof Pamela Snow, based at La Trobe University, Bendigo, maintained that classroom instruction is the "only lever schools have to make a difference" in a world where much is out of our control, and we know that the evidence is well and truly out about what constitutes quality teaching.

We know that we have great teachers at CSC and the work we have ahead of us, for equity's sake, is to ensure this excellence is scaled across all classrooms. This starts with explicit, common and consistent assessment practices within Learning Area Teams that track a learner's progress across time and doesn't simply log ephemeral moments of achievement.

Please don't hesitate to email anna.treasure@education.vic.gov.au with any questions or concerns you have about Curriculum & Assessment practices at CSC

Nick Cowan - Assistant Principal (Teaching & Learning)

Kristelle Sherwood - Literacy Learning Specialist

Anna Treasure - Curriculum & Assessment Leader

Sharon Rossiter- Numeracy Learning Specialist

Olivia Monro - Instructional Practice Leader