Calrossy Anglican School

From the Director of Teaching and Learning

Welcome to Teaching and Learning for 2023. 

 

My name is Raelene Maxworthy, I have come from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) as Subject Matter Expert Technologies where I was responsible for providing expertise to support the syllabus development for the curriculum reform process.

 

My personal commitment is to see every student learning successfully and working toward their potential. It is with great honour I join the Calrossy community as Director of Teaching and Learning. I extend my warm welcome to families, and I look forward to getting to know you throughout the year.

 

The ambition for Teaching and Learning at Calrossy is to nurture every student’s talent and to provide all students with the knowledge, skills, attributes, and values they will require for successful ongoing learning and life beyond school.

Teaching and learning is for all students.

 

In 2018/19 the NSW government commissioned a Curriculum Review conducted by Geoff Masters. This was the first comprehensive review of the whole curriculum since 1989 and will ensure our education system is preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.  The aim of the Review was to enhance the effectiveness of school education in NSW to:

  • provide an education that engages and challenges every child and young person in learning, rewards them for effort and promotes high standards, and
  • prepare each student with strong foundations of knowledge, capabilities and values to be lifelong learners, and to flourish in a world in which rapid technological advances are contributing to unprecedented economic and social change in unpredictable ways.
  • The Review considered the strengths and weaknesses of the current NSW curriculum, its relationship to the Australian Curriculum and its accessibility to the diverse learners of the NSW community.

Consistent messages from the Master’s review revealed:

  • ‘Flexibility’ was the word most used by teachers to describe the systemic change they want.
  • Teachers need more time to teach important knowledge and skills.
  • Students want authentic learning with real-world application.
  • Parents/carers want an education system that meets the needs of their children.
  • Employers want young workers to have strong foundations in literacy and numeracy, and social and emotional skills, such as teamwork and communication.

The NSW Government response to the Curriculum Review requires NESA to develop more than 200 new syllabuses between 2021 and 2024. NESA have streamlined and refined the existing syllabus development process to meet the government-mandated timelines.

 

I will be working collaboratively with each Key Learning Area and our Junior School to support processes to implement new curriculum.

 

If parents and carers would like to follow the reform processes this link will provide you with further details or please feel free to contact me.

 

Mrs Raelene Maxworthy

Director of Teaching and Learning