Connection with St Andrew’s Cathedral School’s Junior School enables Gawura School students to access outstanding learning support, along with specialist support services funded by our generous donors and supporters.
To enhance the individual care and attention provided by teachers and support students to become confident, successful learners, Gawura School works closely with learning specialists both within our Schools and externally, as needed.
Specialised Learning in Gawura School is led by the Specialised Learning Coordinator for the Junior School, alongside a dedicated team of teachers and aides. Together they work in close partnership with teachers, students, parents, and external professionals to understand and support the individual needs of every student.
First Nations Education Coordinator and Aboriginal Education Aides and Mentor
Our First Nations Education Coordinator has extensive experience working in Gawura School. This specialist works with all Gawura School and Junior School staff to embed First Nations perspectives and cultural awareness into teaching and learning programmes. The Aboriginal Education Aide and Aboriginal Education Mentor provide culturally responsive pastoral and learning support for students across Kindergarten to Year 12.
Specialist Learning team
The services provided by the Specialised Learning team include diagnostic assessment, parent information sessions, and the development of Student Learning Plans, among other initiatives. Gawura School students also have access to counsellors and child psychologists.
External specialists
Gawura School students have access to specialist services provided by occupational therapists and speech therapists, who visit the School and work with students onsite during school hours. This approach ensures timely feedback to help inform teachers of the student’s needs. These individualised, targeted support programmes are funded by our generous donors.
Individual and Personalised Learning Plans
Student progress is assessed through both qualitative and quantitative measures and monitored through Individual Learning Plans (ILPs), Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs), and ongoing tracking.
Personal Learning Pathways
Individual PLP’s are an important tool for increasing the engagement of First Nations students at Gawura School. They support improved learning outcomes and educational aspirations and are developed in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, their parents or carers, and teachers.
Student progress is assessed on an ongoing basis, measuring the achievement of NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) requirements, alongside the acquisition of content knowledge and skills, as well as the development of values and attitudes.
Our students benefit from this targeted intervention and support. 83% of Gawura School students say “I can do schoolwork that is hard to understand”