Last week, the Pedagogical Coaching Program took place in the Catholic Education Ballarat Conference Room and at Red Lion, Sovereign Park Ballarat. Aligned with “Teach Like a Champion,” this program focused on empowering Middle Leaders, Deputy Principals, Assistant Principals, and Principals to enhance their coaching skills so they can review, reflect, and plan for sustained improvement in teacher capability and student learning. Coaching skills were developed through the essential elements of coaching (affiliative, instructional, and didactic), feedback, emotional intelligence, and professional conversations. Huge thanks to DOBCEL Strategy Implementation Manager, Julia Petrov, for orchestrating this impactful experience.

101 years after it first opened, St Patrick’s Primary School has been enhanced with a $2.1M upgrade from the Albanese Government’s Capital Grants Program. Last Friday, Catherine King officially unveiled the new facilities, including a redesigned reception, improved classrooms, and The Madden Hall, named in honour of beloved teacher Clare Madden, whose kindness and passion for music left a lasting legacy. Bishop Paul Bird blessed the school, while DOBCEL Executive Director Tom Sexton thanked the community for their support. Special recognition was given to Deputy Director of Stewardship, Megan Ioannou, Principal Ben Shields, former Principal Mark Hogbin, and Business Manager Michelle Cushing for their tireless work in bringing this project to life.…

The Catholic Education Ballarat (CEB) Speech Pathology team is trialling a different approach to support students’ communication skills through the AllReady Project. The project focuses on speech pathologists and classroom teachers working together collaboratively to respond to whole-cohort speech and language screening data. This project, lead by Miranda Pearse and Rebecca Free, will continue throughout 2025. This year, St Augustine’s, Creswick and Our Lady Help of Christians, Warrnambool are the schools participating in the AllReady Project. Initial screening of 81 Foundation students has been completed, with results aligning with national and international trends of increased communication difficulties in cohorts significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Zuniga Montanez et al., 2025). Research shows…

As part of DOBCEL’s commitment to supporting the professional growth of early career teachers, a session titled ‘Who We Are and How We Are’ was held this week for first-year Early Career Teachers (ECTs). Facilitators from the Catholic Identity and Mission, Learning and Teaching, and Wellbeing Teams led informative sessions on student engagement, understanding learners, inclusive practices, teacher wellbeing and also a session titled “What Makes Our Schools Catholic?,” which sparked meaningful discussions among participants. Matthew Byrne, DOBCEL Deputy Director of Catholic Education, welcomed the new teachers and provided an insightful overview of the Diocese’s operations. Matt Woodley, from the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), introduced participants to the VIT…

Innovative research using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey has revealed significant lifelong benefits for individuals who attended Catholic schools. The study, conducted by the Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES) at Victoria University, found that Catholic school graduates are more likely to experience advantages in employment, income, health, and overall life satisfaction. Key Findings The research highlights both personal and community benefits of Catholic education. On average, individuals who attended Catholic schools are more likely to be employed and earn higher wages than those who attended government schools, with wage differences ranging from 4 to 11 per cent. Additionally, Catholic school…

International Women’s Day will be recognised on Saturday 8 March, 2025. We all have the power to inspire inclusion by educating early, seeking out content which supports and celebrates women, and advocating for change where change is needed. Collectively, we can all Accelerate Action. School Resources for International Women’s Day The International Women’s Day site has informative videos, educator resources, and activities to engage all ages A Prayer for International Women’s Day Twenty Women Saints Who Made a Mark on the Catholic World Lean In Girls is hosting a special IWD virtual event FOR GIRLS [11-15] on March 12 10:00am-11:00am. More information here Some other suggested resources to read, listen…

New Principals in the Diocese of Ballarat in 2025 were welcomed and Commissioned by Monsignor Glynn Murphy and DOBCEL Executive Director, Tom Sexton at a Diocesan Leadership Gathering (DLG) Mass at Sts Michael’s and St John’s Church in Horsham last Thursday 20 February. Welcome and best wishes to Lisa McDonald (Interim – St Joseph’s, Penshurst), Danny Franc (Interim – St Joseph’s, Coleraine), Chris Prockter (Acting – St Mary’s, Sea Lake), Jaci Commons (Our Lady Help of Christians, Wendouree), Catherine Howison (Marian College, Ararat), Melissa Sutherland (St Paul’s, Mildura), Julie Leonard (St Mary’s, Warracknabeal), Greg Kluske (St Joseph’s, Mildura).

Yesterday, 90 Principals and school leaders from Catholic schools across DOBCEL collaborated with the esteemed Professor David Hopkins, who delivered an inspiring keynote presentation titled “Unleashing Greatness: A Strategy for School Improvement” as part of the DOBCEL Strategy 2035. Participants engaged in an interactive workshop that sparked innovative ideas and collaboration. 👏 David Hopkins is the Chair of Educational Leadership at the University of Bolton, as well as Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Education, University College London and the University of Nottingham.

More than 400 teachers from DOBCEL Catholic primary schools across the diocese have participated in professional learning this week in Ballarat, Camperdown, and Horsham, as part of the FLARE Literacy Improvement Strategy. This Phase A professional learning is intended to guide teachers and schools to improve literacy outcomes through an explicit instruction, phonics-based approach to teaching reading, as part of Structured Literacy. The professional learning, led by the Catholic Education Ballarat (CEB) FLARE Executive Team of Holly Southwell, Breeana Wade and Emma Rutherford has been described by participants as: “The best PD I’ve been to in years. So informative and so relevant! Gives me great hope for the future of…

Starting in Term 1, 2025, Foundation students across 47 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat will undergo speech screening as part of an initiative by the Catholic Education Ballarat (CEB) Speech Pathology Team. Based on research showing the importance of early speech screening for students, the initiative aims to address speech issues early in a student’s education, as untreated problems can lead to long-term challenges in reading, writing, mental health and employability. The team recognises that- ‘Children with speech problems can have long‐term difficulties that persist into adolescence and beyond with some 30% to 60% experiencing continuing problems in reading and spelling. This can then lead to longer term…