Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) has released its first annual Closing the Gap report. This report outlines its contribution to improving socio-economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly students and their families.
CSPD Chief Executive Officer Jack de Groot said the report reflects the dedication of CSPD’s 6 500 staff in fostering reconciliation and equity through the organisation’s 80 outstanding school across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
“We’re strongly committed to great outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through education grounded in excellence and inclusion,” Jack said. “Our Catholic tradition puts people in need first and there is still so much more to do to Close the Gap for First Nations people in Australia, including in our Catholic schools.”
The annual report is an additional commitments CSPD has included in its forthcoming Reconciliation Action Plan. While not exhaustive, the report highlights some of the meaningful efforts being made through CSPD schools and services across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Some highlights include:
- a year-on-year increase of approximately 7.5% enrolment growth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to 1,217 total)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students maintained an attendance rate above 87% in both 2023 and 2024, compared to 85.1% in 2022
- increasing HSC participation with 65 HSC candidates in 2025, in contrast to 10 HSC candidates in 2016
- steady improvement in HSC results, with the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students achieving top-band awards rising from 7.69% in 2016 to nearly 30% by 2024
- achievements in Vocational Education and Training such as St John Paul II Catholic College Schofields student Tataya Curry-Jones being named NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year and St Agnes Catholic High School Rooty Hill student Jewel Osborne won the prestigious Aurora Award at the Western Sydney and Blue Mountains Region at the 2024 NSW Training Awards.
The report celebrates the strengths-based work of the CSPD Jarara team based in Mount Druitt and Family Liaison Officer Aunty Roz Webb, an Aboriginal Elder embedded within CSPD’s Student Support Directorate. Other successful initiatives include the Murama Youth Ambassador Program, cultural learning programs such as Sky Country Dreaming and the Up and Go Bus that provides students with transport to school (and brekky on the road), an initiative to support student attendance.
Looking ahead, opportunities to increase CSPD’s contribution to national efforts to close the gap include considering scaling the Family Liaison Officer model, expanding transition support, and strengthening vocational pathways will be key priorities. Deepening partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, universities, and employers while increasing access to targeted wellbeing services will further enhance student outcomes. By refining exisiting programs and fostering strong community collaborations, CSPD can continue to make a contribution to sustained progress towards parity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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13 Nov 2025
From Facebook
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13 Nov 2025
From Facebook
Every Wednesday, Year 3 students are “Dancing through the Nations” with Zing. Each session begins with a high-energy warm-up that introduces them to a variety of cultural dance moves and music from around the world. Students are developing their awareness of personal space, exploring how to travel through general space, and learning key movement concepts such as direction, level, and focus. They are also discovering foundational moves and gaining insight into the culture and history behind the dynamic street dance style of Hip Hop.
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From Facebook
Cube Counters and Capacity Experts! 📏 Our investigation into volume and capacity is going brilliantly! Year 2 students are using cubes to measure the internal volume of containers and water to measure capacity. We learned the difference between how much space something takes up (volume) and how much something holds (capacity)! Great work measuring, everyone! #MathsIsFun #Year2Curriculum #MeasuringSkills #CapacityExperts
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From Facebook
🏏 HUGE Congratulations to Rich Starwin! 💙 What a sensational performance! The whole Holy Spirit community is absolutely bursting with pride for our very own Rich Starwin, who has just bowled us over with his incredible achievement: making the Parramatta Team for cricket! 🥳 Rich Starwin faced some seriously tough competition and absolutely smashed it out of the park during the trials. Making a representative team like this is a massive milestone and a testament to his dedication, skill, and hours spent in the nets and on the pitch. We know he'll be an absolute all-rounder and a key player for Parramatta. This is a huge moment, and we can't wait to follow Rich's journey as he takes the crease with his new squad. Go get 'em, Rich! We're all cheering for you! 🎉
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From Facebook
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31 Oct 2025
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💖 Community United! Celebrating Teachers' Day & Our School Spirit! Today we honoured the heart of our school—our dedicated teachers—and the powerful team spirit that runs through our whole community. World Teachers' Day and Community Day together reminded us just how strong we are when we are united! Thank you to everyone who made the day special. We snapped a ton of great pictures! Here is a sample. Please check out the rest through a link in this weeks newsletter.
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