Our Catholic schools are places where learning is valued, where excellent teaching is encouraged and where high expectations are rewarded.
Teaching is more than a job; it is a call to belonging to something that is bigger than us, it is noble and is crucially about the future. Central to our mission and vocation as teachers in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle are two vital things:
- Teaching must be first and foremost about young people. Having a love of learning and a love of children and young people is essential. Engaging in the learning process through guiding and working with our students to allow them to grow and develop is fundamental to our role. Teachers and staff in our diocese must be passionate and enthusiastic about their roles and be prepared to engage in ongoing professional learning to promote quality teaching.
- Our roles as teachers in Catholic schools firmly place us as partners in the Church's mission to share the Good News: to invite students into a relationship with Jesus and to form them as Christians who have a sense of themselves and others and who work for a better world for all to share. As teachers in Catholic schools we are supportive of the ethos and we live by the values espoused by the Gospel.
Students in our schools deserve a high quality education, where the dignity of the individual is promoted and where a comprehensive curriculum is offered to all.
To teach in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, teachers are required to be accredited with NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority). If you are commencing teaching in NSW or you are returning to teaching in NSW after an absence of five (5) years or more, you will need to be accredited with NESA.
Accreditation is based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST), which describes what a teacher is expected to know and be able to do across the career stages of:
- Graduate Teacher
- Proficient Teacher
- Highly Accomplished Teacher
- Lead Teacher
Early career teachers commencing in the diocese of Maitland-Newcastle will be provided with a mentor for the period of working towards accreditation as proficient teacher.
An induction program providing professional development will be in place for a period of two years. Education Officers (Teacher Accreditation) in the Catholic Schools Office will support principals and mentors as they work with early career teachers to actively develop teaching knowledge and skills and complete the accreditation process.