Academic Culture

Teaching and Learning Consultation

As our families would be aware, this term St Pat’s has commenced an important Teaching and Learning consultation review, as part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement. The consultation review is designed to help us reflect on our current learning culture, identify areas of strength, and explore opportunities to continue enhancing the educational experience we provide to our students. 

As I shared with staff recently, this is fundamentally a listening and reflection process. The goal is to better understand what is working well, and how we can continue strengthening our boys’ learning. I have genuinely been energised by the opportunity to hear members of our school community speak about the important work we do together.

The consultation is being facilitated by experienced educational consultant Marg Blythman and interviewer and writer David Cooley, who have been onsite with us throughout the week conducting conversations with staff, students and members of the School Advisory Council. 

Marg Blythman is a highly respected educational leader with extensive experience in Catholic secondary education, including more than eight years as Principal of St Joseph’s College. 

David Cooley also brings extensive experience in structured interview and consultation processes across Catholic secondary school settings, helping schools identify themes, insights and future directions through thoughtful and reflective conversations.

As part of the process, Marg and David are also spending time visiting classrooms and learning spaces to better understand our context and to see learning in action across the College. Additionally, every student and staff member was invited to volunteer to take part in an interview, and I have been overwhelmed by the wonderfully positive response to this opportunity.

It is important to emphasise that this review is about genuine listening. There is no judgement of what is currently happening and nor is there a preconceived outcome. The intention is to hear about the experiences of our community and to ensure students, staff and families have an input into the future direction of teaching and learning at St Pat’s.

When speaking to staff at the launch of the review, I reflected on the importance of Catholic education and the collective responsibility we share as educators.

As a place of education, we know that getting teaching and learning right is non-negotiable. Our families entrust us with the care of their boys and trust that when their sons come here each day, we are delivering a Catholic education which attends to all their needs — intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

This review is ultimately about ensuring our boys experience the best possible Catholic education we can provide and about continuing to strengthen the outstanding work already taking place across our College community.

I would like to thank everyone in our community for their wonderful support and look forward to sharing the outcomes of the review, and how we can continue to enhance the learning experiences of every student.

Exam Week

Next week, students in Years 9-11 will be undertaking their exams. Years 10-11 exams are scheduled throughout the week, with Year 9 students undertaking their exams on Thursday and Friday.

As parents, you can support your son during the exam period is by encouraging effective revision habits. Often, students will naturally gravitate towards less effective study strategies such as cramming, re-reading notes or highlighting or copying large sections of text. While these approaches can feel productive, they are not always the best use of study time.

Instead, students benefit most from developing a revision timetable that spreads study sessions across subjects and days. And when undertaking revision, strategies that require them to actively retrieve their learning are best. This might include completing practice exam questions, testing themselves using cue cards, or explaining concepts aloud. If students require additional support, please encourage them to reach out to their subject teacher for assistance. We are here to help!

It is also very normal for students to feel some level of nervousness around exams. In many cases, this can be positive and can motivate students to prepare and perform at their best. However, some students may experience higher levels of anxiety, and we encourage families to reach out if additional wellbeing support is needed.

Importantly, we continue to remind students that exams are not simply about achieving a result. They are also an opportunity for students to consolidate their learning, receive valuable feedback about their progress and growth, while helping teachers better understand how we can continue to support each student moving forward.

Semester 2 Commencement and GAT/Exam Marking Day

A reminder to families that Semester 2 will commence on Tuesday, 9 June (Week 8), following the King’s Birthday long weekend. From this date, all semester-based subjects and classes will transition to their Semester 2 timetable.

Please also note that on Tuesday 16 June (Week 9), there will be no scheduled classes for students. On this day, our VCE and VCE VM students will complete the General Achievement Test (GAT), while teaching staff will undertake exam marking and report writing in preparation for the conclusion of Semester 1.