Association of Independent Schools of NSW

School sport leaders from across the state gathered in Terrigal this week for the AISNSW Sport Leadership Conference.

A wonderful two days of connection in a beautiful setting as delegates dove into all things sport performance in schools, generational trends, as well as the possibilities on the horizon with AI.

AISNSW's resident book reviewer Carrie Alker has been delighted by Maxine Beneba Clarke's It's the Sound of the Thing. She dives into what the book has to offer for K-6 students and how teachers can use the text in their classes.

Read more: https://direc.to/mdqh

World Teachers’ Day 2024 is being celebrated in NSW on 25 October.

We have developed a range of resources to support to celebrate the wonderful contributions that make in their school communities.

This years’ resources were created from the winning Primary and Secondary entries from the World Teachers’ Day Student Art Competition, Not All Heroes Wear Capes.

These artworks beautifully showcase the respect these students have of their teachers and are representative that not all heroes wear capes.

We encourage all schools to use these card templates and social media tiles to thank and celebrate their teachers.

Resources are available to be downloaded on the AISNSW website: https://ow.ly/wmUg50TeZQg

Last week 120 First Nations students from 27 schools gathered at Western Sydney University for the AISNSW Wingara Student Leadership day.

The day featured a range of workshops for students to connect with each other and university staff, consider their career and study paths beyond school, and strengthen their cultural identity.

The Wingara team is dedicated to helping schools better understand and champion Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the curriculum to enhance all students knowledge and understanding of First Nations Cultures and histories. Hear more from them at this year's Wingara Education Conference: https://ow.ly/wyJF50TccBM

We are celebrating the incredible teacher aides in Independent schools for Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week.

Comment and tell us about the teacher aides in your school community who make such a big difference.

Last Friday, to cap off National Skills Week, The King's School in Sydney hosted the regional rounds of the WorldSkills Australia Competition for schools in the Sydney region. Well done to all the students who competed.

Coming Soon!

We're thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of the recruitED service, a recruitment portal designed to streamline the hiring process for Independent schools across NSW.

This purpose built platform provides a dedicated online space for Independent schools, HR professionals, and job seekers to connect seamlessly.

Tailored specifically for the unique needs of Independent schools, the recruitED service addresses some of the most persistent workforce challenges in the education sector.

Find out more: https://ow.ly/WLzf50T8esY

On Friday AISNSW Associate Chief Executive Kelly Borg and Teaching and Learning Consultant Carlo Tuttocuore gave evidence to the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Arts and Music Education and Training in New South Wales.

They shared the challenges faced by Independent schools as well as the desire to continue providing quality arts and music education for all their students.

This afternoon we are pleased to be at PLC Sydney for the AISNSW 2024 Student Art Competition celebrating teachers ahead of in October.

Students from Independent schools submitted incredible pieces, all inspired by the theme "Not All Heroes Wear Capes".

Thank you to PLC Sydney for hosting us and providing entertainment via performances from the string ensembles. Thanks you also to sponsor Eckersley's Art & Craft for helping make the art show a reality.

AISNSW welcomes the report by the NSW Legislative Council’s Education Committee, “Children and young people with disability in New South Wales educational settings”. Almost 47,000 students with a disability are educated in NSW independent schools, making up 22% of the sector’s students. More than 95% are educated in mainstream settings.

However, the committee has erred by suggesting that NSW Independent schools can discriminate against students on the basis of disability.

NSW Independent schools comply with the relevant Commonwealth legislation (Disability Discrimination Act 1992) which provides no exemptions for non-government schools to discriminate on disability grounds. AISNSW calls on the Committee to clarify or remove this recommendation from its report.

Read the full report:

www.parliament.nsw.gov.au

To celebrate National Skills Week, so we're highlighting how Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Independent schools is truly a game changer! 🎮

✨ With 5,288 VET students currently enrolled across Independent schools, AISNSW has expanded its offerings to cover 16 Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) fields, providing a broad range of qualifications across 13 industry areas.

📈 The numbers speak for themselves: since 2015, we've seen a 56% increase in independent schools joining our RTO, growing from 85 schools to 133 in 2024.

📊 Student enrollment in VET courses has nearly tripled, soaring from 2,130 in 2015 to an impressive 5,844 in 2023.

🎓 Through our RTO at AISNSW, we're committed to delivering quality education and opening doors for students across Certificate levels I, II, and III.

Join us in celebrating these milestones and the bright future ahead for VET in Independent schools! 🌟

Image courtesy of Tyndale Christian School

*New member announcement*

We are delighted to welcome Pacific Gulgangali Jarjums Christian School as a new member of the Association of Independent Schools of NSW.

Part of the Pacific Group of Christian Schools, Pacific Gulgangali Jarjums Christian School is a small Special Assistance School for Aboriginal students, catering for Kindergarten through to Year 6.
Opened in 2022, the school is located in Tweed Heads on the far north NSW coast, located at the Pacific Coast Christian School campus.

This week is National Skills Week, so we're highlighting how Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Independent schools is truly a game changer! 🎮

✨ With 5,288 VET students currently enrolled across Independent schools, AISNSW has expanded its offerings to cover 16 Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) fields, providing a broad range of qualifications across 13 industry areas.

📈 The numbers speak for themselves: since 2015, we've seen a 56% increase in independent schools joining our RTO, growing from 85 schools to 133 in 2024.

📊 Student enrollment in VET courses has nearly tripled, soaring from 2,130 in 2015 to an impressive 5,844 in 2023.

🎓 Through our RTO at AISNSW, we're committed to delivering quality education and opening doors for students across Certificate levels I, II, and III.

Join us in celebrating these milestones and the bright future ahead for VET in Independent schools! 🌟

Image courtesy of Carinya Christian School, Gunnedah

Great story on Channel Nine News last night, highlighting the wonderful work of Warakirri College and its principal, Carolyn Blanden.

Warakirri is one of 33 Special Assistance Schools in the NSW Independent school sector, serving over 3,000 secondary students who might otherwise be unable to complete their education. Many students have struggled in traditional school settings or avoided school entirely, finding themselves at the "last chance" stage of their education. Warakirri provides them with a safe and supportive space to learn, grow, and rediscover their potential.

Channel 9 Warakirri College This is "Channel 9 Warakirri College" by AISNSW on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Congratulations to Anne Johnstone, Principal of Ravenswood School for Girls - Official Site on being recognised as the Australian School Principal of the Year at the 2024 Australian Education Awards earlier this month! This prestigious honour highlights Anne’s exceptional leadership, innovative contributions to education, and unwavering commitment to the wellbeing and success of her students.

Anne's passion for education and dedication to Positive Education have made a significant impact both nationally and globally. Her work as Chair of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN) and her role in developing transformative programs at Ravenswood have set new benchmarks for educational excellence. We are also very lucky to have Anne as Chair of AISNSW’s Excellence in Leadership and Teaching Council.

Congratulations once again, Anne, on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for your inspiring contributions to education! 🎉👏

Central to every school is the desire to improve teaching and learning to enhance student achievement. Given that the quality of teaching makes the biggest in-school difference to students’ learning and ultimately their success, effective professional development is critical.

Read more: https://direc.to/kAnV

Kicking off the week at the UTS Aerial Centre for the AISNSW School Improvement Conference. We're excited to hear from the teams at Australian Education Research Organisation - AERO and Prosci ANZ as they help school leaders navigate the latest educational research, map their strengths and bridge the gaps at their schools.

This is the third edition in our series of Thinking Routines for K-6 teachers. This edition we will focus attention on the engaging routine, "Tug of War".

Read more: https://direc.to/kAnm

We are excited to welcome celebrated filmmaker Rachel Perkins (The Australian Wars, Jasper Jones, Bran Nue Dae) as a keynote at the 2024 Wingara Education Conference.

Rachel is a proud Arrente and Kalkadoon woman, with German and Irish heritage, and is one of Australia’s most significant filmmakers. Through her career, spanning over 30 years, Rachel has become an educator, leader and mentor. Her on-screen storytelling takes us on an essential learning journey of shared histories and perspectives, that we are often denied in the classroom.

Register today to hear more from Rachel: https://www.aisnsw.edu.au/featured-events/wingara-education-conference

Blackfella Films
Culture Is Life
SBS Australia
Shark Island Institute

Recently we hosted a CERN Physics Masterclass at the AISNSW conference centre. Dr Harrish Potti from USYD provided an amazingly clear representation of the Standard Model and the working of the CERN Large Hadron Collider, with plenty of time to answer questions from the floor.

Jackie Bondell from Melbourne Uni led the group through an activity to find the mass of a Higgs Boson, then a deep-dive into large data through the ATLAS portal where participants were able to detect electrons and muons from the proton collisions.

One attendee commented, "Easily one of the best PD sessions I have been involved in with excellent expert knowledge and resources that are absolutely applicable to the classroom".

For more Science based professional learning, join us at the AISNSW Science Conference 2024: https://ow.ly/RTWW50SPLtc

Thanks to Michael Parker and staff at Newington College for hosting a visit from Margery Evans, Chief Executive and Douglas Melrose-Rae, Associate Chief Executive.

We appreciated the opportunity to discuss the vision for the school as well as to tour the school and talk to some students along the way.

Discussions with senior staff were wide-ranging including a focus on teaching and learning and the embedding of critical thinking skills.

Last night at the State Library, three teachers from Independent schools were among 17 wonderful educators across NSW schools to receive a prestigious Premier’s Teacher Scholarship to explore best practice in their chosen focus area.

Congratulations to Sharon Draper of Calrossy Anglican School, Tamworth (Premier’s Reserve Bank of Australia Economics Scholarship), Francisca Castro of St Andrew's Cathedral School, Sydney (Premier’s History Teachers’ Association History Scholarship) and Geoffrey Gates of The Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst (Premier’s Creativity Across the Curriculum Scholarship).

Pictured (from left): David Smith (Principal, Calrossy Anglican School), Sharon Draper, David Nockles (NSW Chair of AHISA), NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car MP, AISNSW Chief Executive Margery Evans, Francisca Castro and Geoffrey Gates.

There is a great deal happening in the NSW Curriculum Reform space at present, with a number of syllabuses being released in final form and others in draft form for consultation. Read to find out all the details:

https://direc.to/kAoT

With the Olympics kicking off this past week, Australia and the World’s excitement and passion for sports are at an all-time high!

There's no better time to channel this energy and drive into your school's sport programs.

Join us at the 2024 AISNSW Sport Leadership Conference - Lighting the Fire: Building Passion for School Sport. This is a unique opportunity to hear from the leading minds in sport, social research, and leadership.

Over two inspiring days, you'll connect with fellow sport leaders in Independent schools, gain insights from top sport professionals, and discover innovative strategies to shape the future of sport at your school.
📅 Date: 2 – 3 September 2024
📍 Location: Crown Plaza Terrigal Pacific
🚀 Last chance for Early Bird: Register before 29 July to take advantage of the early bird price!

🔗 For more info and to register: https://direc.to/kFVu
We hope to see you there!

The 2024 AISNSW Education Research Symposium is a must-attend event for educators looking to stay at the forefront of educational innovation and enhance their school's evidence-enriched culture.

This years’ Symposium contains keynotes from Professor Penny Van Bergan (University of Wollongong) Dr Debra Dank (UniSA) and Dr Paul Kidson (Australian Catholic University).

The program aims to engage educators and researchers in the latest education research and discuss the impact of research in different education contexts.

Find out more about this year's Symposium here:
https://ow.ly/5Ovr50SoQGh

Don't miss out on the opportunity to Connect, Engage, and Inspire at the AISNSW Mathematics Conference 2024. Friday, 23 August at Ascham School, Sydney!

Join academics, specialist consultants, and fellow teachers from across NSW Independent schools for a day filled of insights, collaboration, and professional growth.

🌟 Keynote Presenter:
Emeritus Professor John Sweller from the University of New South Wales will delve into cognitive load theory, offering innovative instructional designs derived from human cognitive architecture to revolutionize mathematics teaching.

Plus, gain insights into the new draft Stage 6 Mathematics Syllabuses and workshops on leading curriculum change and contemporary pedagogy.

Secure your spot now and be part of this transformative learning experience! Register today: https://ow.ly/jbEe50Sivio

See you there!