Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important educational decisions you will make.

As parents, carers or grandparents you have a choice - and the right - to provide your child with the best education available.

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle proudly hosts some of the best schools in Newcastle, Maitland, the Hunter and Upper Hunter, Lake Macquarie and Manning Regions.

Catholic schools offer a unique educational experience which forms the child or young person as a person of integrity, compassion, faith and wisdom. Catholic schools also work closely with their local Parish to enhance a student’s capacity to make sense of their world, to make judgements and to recognise the uniqueness of others within a faith community.

Each school has a supportive community of teachers, clergy, parents, carers, parents and friends’ association, parishioners and support staff who work together to focus on students; encouraging success, promoting discipline, supporting creativity and instilling compassion. This means that Catholic schools do not just teach religious studies, they seek to develop the spirit, mind, body and character and cultivate Gospel values that support lives filled with joy, endeavour and hope in the future.

St Francis Xavier’s has a commitment to focus on each individual child’s ability, offering a unique array of educational, creative, sporting and formation opportunities for students.

Finally, Catholic schools offer peace of mind to parents, knowing they’ve made the right choice and the best investment for their child’s future. It is because of this and the many opportunities available to students that we believe choosing a Catholic education is the right choice to make.

FIVE REASONS WHY FAMILIES CHOOSE ST FRANCIS XAVIER’S PRIMARY SCHOOL

1. OUR COMMUNITY

As a Catholic school steeped in the heritage of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, we encourage our students to “never see a need without doing something about it”. This imperative is embedded in our daily interactions with each other and our works of social justice, whether we are raising money or collecting goods for the St Vincent de Paul Society, supporting the work of CARITAS or local charity organisations.

St Francis Xavier’s has a deep commitment to supporting our community, not only through fundraising, but also through participation in local community events.

Senior students are also involved in regular outreach visits to local preschools, culminating in the presentation of books during National Simultaneous Storytime.

2. FAITH-BASED EDUCATION

St Francis Xavier’s Primary School, Belmont, is a Catholic school with a long, rich history of quality, Catholic education within the local Belmont area. Established in 1950, the school still reflects the ethos of the founding Sisters of St Joseph, providing Catholic education for students embedded in an inclusive and nurturing environment.

St Francis Xavier’s is a unique community that is large at heart. Our culture is characterised by caring relationships solidly based on Gospel teachings and values that are practiced in all aspects of school life. As a school, we embrace the dynamic nature of education, providing quality learning programs in a challenging environment that caters for and respects the unique needs of each child, whilst also providing education that helps develop values that will enable individuals to contribute positively to the wider community.

Education is about the whole person at St Francis Xavier’s, with learning programs created to develop each child academically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually. Whilst talented children are given opportunity to excel, all children are given equal opportunity to experience success across a variety of areas.

At St Francis Xavier’s, quality education takes place within a community that is prayerful, respectful, supportive and dedicated to the development of the whole child.

3. CONTEMPORARY LEARNING

At St Francis Xavier’s, we believe our students will best experience success through quality teaching and learning. Our programs are personalised and respond to the learning needs, interests and experiences of each student.

Our teachers are highly skilled and trained in 21st century learning pedagogy, providing a collaborative work environment, flexible workspaces and engaging students through rich learning tasks.

Contemporary learning aims to empower students with the knowledge, skills and capacities to respond creatively to the challenges of their world. We encourage innovation and inquiry-based learning to create a sense of belonging and purpose that strengthens the learning culture.

4. HIGH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

At St Francis Xavier’s we have a commitment to high academic achievement as evident in our results in a variety of areas. We have regularly out performed other schools in our local area in NAPLAN and been congratulated for the ‘academic growth’ our students achieve from Year 3 to Year 5 and from Year 5 to Year 7.

Having a commitment to high academic performance also means providing opportunities for children to broaden their existing skill base. Our students regularly participate in maths and science challenges and public speaking events. We also look for opportunities for students who excel in the creative arts because high academic achievement is sought in all Key Learning Areas and not just limited to English, Maths and Science. These provide avenues for students who excel in these areas to challenge themselves against peers of similar ability.

5. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

At St Francis Xavier’s we provide a rich educational environment where the students are active participants in their learning. Research tells us that not all children learn the same way, therefore if we are to provide authentic learning experiences we must ensure that the environment enables the students to succeed while also being challenged.

Rich learning environments involve students being provided with a variety of opportunities ranging from independent self-guided learning to teacher-guided and modelled learning. Rich Learning Environments are well resourced, involve technology and real world experiences. Children exist in the real world therefore if the Learning Environment is to be authentic they should learn through real world experiences that involve problem-solving, discussion, evaluation and decision-making.