We believe that children learn in a variety of ways, most effectively when all participants are actively engaged in purposeful, open-ended tasks.
Children learn collaboratively through exposure to a variety of teaching styles and learning experiences, incorporating a wide variety of resources. All students need to experience success. Differences in abilities and learning styles need to be addressed.
St Raphael’s School has undergone significant transformation in its culture, pedagogy and physical environment in the last decade.
At St Raphael’s learning and teaching is of a high standard as we strive for educational excellence in our extensive curriculum, which ensures our students achieve academically, spiritually and physically in all facets of life.
All decisions are made in light of the teachings of Jesus as we endeavour to live out the message of the gospel to love one another. We proclaim our Catholic Identity in our relationships with others and in all that we do.
We aspire to educate students to be lifelong learners and to prepare them for a future in our contemporary world. We provide them with authentic and meaningful experiences which build their resilience in order to be active contributors in our society.
Central to our teaching philosophy is knowing and understanding each of our students and responding appropriately to their needs. This personalised approach allows students to be actively involved in shaping and driving their learning. In order for our students to engage effectively in a contemporary world, we have committed to using current and emerging technologies as a tool to support all areas of learning and teaching.
We have focused on personalising the learning for our students. Through improved team collaboration, professional learning and effective use of data to inform planning, teaching practice has become more explicit. This is evident in the way students have been grouped and workshops have been structured to support targeted student learning. Student voice has been emphasised in all learning to ensure hands-on, relevant and authentic learning experiences.
Our work in Student Wellbeing is an essential element of our school. We believe it is vital to building positive relationships between students, staff and families. Children learn best when they are provided with an environment where they feel happy, safe, engaged, supported and accepted. We believe our children are all unique and, to that end, we embrace and celebrate each child’s individuality.
Leadership at St. Raphael’s also focuses on creating an environment where children feel safe, happy and supported. We endeavour to empower and challenge all within our community to be active leaders.
We believe student learning will be enhanced through the expansion of links and partnerships with all levels of the school. We place emphasis on the importance of community involvement and are mindful of how it can impact student outcomes. Broader community relationships are valued and extend to working collaboratively with secondary schools, outside agencies and organisations.
A coordinated approach to parental involvement ensures that parents are active contributors in their child’s learning.