Catholic schools in South Canterbury form community of learning

Friday, May 13th, 2016

Six South Canterbury Catholic schools will make up the new community of learning.

The community of learning is expected to lead to a more collaborative approach between the region’s Catholic schools.

The schools involved are Roncalli College, Sacred Heart School, St Josephs’ School Pleasant Point, St Josephs’ School Timaru, St Josephs’ School Temuka, and St Patricks’ School in Waimate.

More than 1000 South Canterbury school children will be involved.

St Josephs’ School Timaru principal, Carmel Brosnahan-Pye, said the schools were already working closely together, and it made sense to continue to seek the benefits of that approach.

“We can collaborate more, and share our knowledge and expertise.”

She said some teachers would be released to work across all of the contributing schools, and school boards would also be looking to work closely together.

The schools are working to set the goals for what they wanted to achieve.

The community of learning comes under the umbrella of the government’s flagship $359 million Investing in Educational Success programme.

The policy, announced in 2014, aims to improve student achievement by fostering collaboration between schools and getting top teachers to coach others.

The minister of education Hekia Parata said that more than 1000 schools, or 40 per cent of all schools in New Zealand, were now involved in communities of learning.

“This is magnificent. These communities will help drive up achievement for all kids all the way along the pathway from early learning to senior secondary.”

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