As part of Sydney Catholic Schools, we employ highly qualified and competent teachers who are accredited by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). To continuously improve our practice, teachers also work towards the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, from proficient teacher to lead teacher level.
The delivery of quality curriculum, pedagogy (teaching methods) and assessment is ensured by our system of schools through the provision of contemporary NESA accredited professional learning in a range of modes. Our Centres of Excellence offer online learning and external face-to-face courses, and timely, collaborative and relevant in-situ learning take place within the context of each classroom. Sydney Catholic Schools’ teachers are strongly committed to their ongoing learning, with many having completed, or are currently undertaking, postgraduate studies in areas related to curriculum, student wellbeing, special education, theology, pastoral care and leadership.
The professional learning approach at St Clare’s College Waverley aims to build teacher capacity by providing opportunities for engagement with innovative workshops that reflect current best practice in education. They reflect a commitment to the AITSL standards providing a leading learning culture that is aligned to our Professional Growth in Action process. The staff engages in two-hour fortnightly modules that are directly aligned with the current Annual Improvement Plan and represent an opportunity for staff to engage in sustained professional learning. It is through a focus on meaningful, purposeful professional learning that we aim to foster continual growth resulting in improved student achievement.
One of the key aims of professional learning at the college is to find and provide opportunities for innovation and to promote a leading and learning environment that reflects a 21st century paradigm. The college’s commitment to recognising the inherent strengths of its staff is a key feature of the new professional learning paradigm. It is in providing opportunities for all staff members to develop and lead workshops that professional learning is made meaningful. Such an approach aims to build a culture of collegial collaboration across faculties. It is through collective action that we develop school and teacher capacity.