All schools including Sydney Catholic Schools follow the same Kindergarten to Year 12 curriculum, with our Catholic values underpinning everything that we do.
With a focus on the development of the whole person, courses offered at the school cover the NESA syllabus requirements – developing the core skills of literacy and numeracy – and our Archdiocesan Religious Education curriculum.
Our teachers extend and challenge students to be the best they can be, while recognising that every student is unique and learns differently.
Creative Arts gives students experiences in the visual arts, music, drama and dance.
Through our Amadeus Music Education Program, every student will receive quality instruction from a specialist classroom music teacher. Children in Years 3–6 receive tuition in weekly small-group lessons on an orchestral instrument, as well as ensemble lessons. For more information, please visit the Amadeus Music Education Program page on the Sydney Catholic Schools website.
Religious Education is at the heart of Catholic education. It informs all aspects of school life and contributes to the mission of the Catholic Church in announcing the good news of Jesus Christ.
All students are expected to participate in the religious life of the school. This includes their participation in Religious Education classes, their study of the Archdiocesan curriculum and their use of the To Know, Worship and Love textbooks and resources.
Religious Education recognises the innate dignity of the child and young person who is educated in the Catholic School. At St Francis Xavier, story plays an essential part in developing and enriching children’s imagination, intellect and ability to understand and make sense of human experience. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and a storytelling approach, nurtures the natural capacity that young children have for curiosity, imagination and wonder.
Throughout their primary years, children are invited to reflect on Sacred Scripture, talk with God through prayer, discover the beauty of God’s creation and explore the meaning of symbols and rituals. Above all other things, this is the time when young people come to know how much God loves them, and when they are drawn into a love of God and others.
For more information on curriculum units and resources see:
In English ‘students learn to read, write, speak, view and represent language. They learn about the English language and literature through working with a wide range of spoken, visual, multimedia and digital texts. Students learn how language varies according to context, and how to communicate with a range of audiences for different purposes. They learn to read for information and pleasure. Students gain a sound grasp of language structures, punctuation, spelling and grammar. They also learn to think in ways that are imaginative, creative and critical.’ – NSW Education Standards Authority, Parent Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses.
Literacy is the effective use of knowledge and skills to interpret and use language confidently for learning, communicating and engaging in society. It involves the integration of listening, speaking, reading, viewing, creating, writing and critical thinking. These skills are applied in different curriculum areas for a variety of purposes.
The Sydney Catholic Schools Statement on Literacy provides further elaboration on the principles of literacy and various roles within and across our schools.
In Kindergarten to Year 6, Mathematics ‘focuses on developing students’ mathematical understanding, fluency, communication, reasoning and problem-solving through their study of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. These capabilities enable students to respond to familiar and unfamiliar situations, using strategies to make decisions and solve problems relevant to their further education and everyday lives.’ – NSW Education Standards Authority, Parent Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses.
Numeracy is the effective use of Mathematics to meet the demands of daily learning and life. Numeracy takes place across the curriculum and throughout the school day in a variety of contexts.
The Sydney Catholic Schools Statement on Numeracy provides further elaboration on the principles of numeracy and various roles within and across our schools.
The Science syllabus covers Science and Technology for Kindergarten to Year 6 students.
Science and Technology ‘fosters in students a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Students are encouraged to embrace new concepts and to learn through trialling, testing and refining ideas. They are supported to participate responsibly in developing innovative ideas and solutions in response to questions and opportunities relevant to them and the world around them.’ – NSW Education Standards Authority, Parent Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses.
History provides opportunities for students to explore the past and the present through personal, family and local community histories; British colonisation and Indigenous peoples; the Australian democracy; and new topics, such as migration. The curriculum will focus on the sources of history and the question, ‘How do we know?’ as well as historical concepts such as ‘cause and effect’ and ‘change and continuity’ and on historical skills, such as sequencing time, source analysis and historical perspectives.
Geography provides students with opportunities to investigate environments and communities across local and global scales and undertake inquiry-based learning to explore and understand the world. Students will learn about the natural and human features of places, the reasons places change and identify the active role of citizens in the care of places. The curriculum will focus on contemporary geographical concepts such as place and sustainability and on geographical skills and tools such as spatial technologies with an emphasis on the role of fieldwork in geographical inquiry.
‘Through Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) students develop self management, interpersonal and movement skills to help them become empowered, self-confident and socially responsible citizens. The learning experiences in PDHPE provide students with a foundation to actively contribute to, and advocate for the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others in the community and beyond school. Students are provided with opportunities to participate in physical activity to develop movement skills and recognise the impact of physical activity on health and wellbeing.’ – NSW Education Standards Authority, Parent Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses.