We’re spoiled for choice on the Beaches with so many great schools – and we are proud to say St Joseph’s Narrabeen is one of them. In fact, we think it’s the best!
One of our most common questions is what makes our school different. There are many reasons, but these five really stand out.
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- We’re small enough to notice…
No child ever “falls through the cracks” at Joeys. Every teacher knows every student by name which allows for a strong, consistent learning journey for students from Kindy to Year 6. Our size allows us to be nimble, make changes and also do things like turn the beach into a classroom for a lesson, along with keeping an eye on social and educational specifics about each child. We’re often known as being a “village” and we care about and value our Joeys community.
- We’re small enough to notice…
- …And we are big enough to make mighty impacts
We have excellent specialist learning support and exceptional extension opportunities as well, to enrich and support students. We analyse our students’ learning weekly and ensure every individual child has a learning plan that is focused on their growth. In the last NAPLAN results, we were included in an elite list of schools who have achieved above-average academic growth. This was taken from results that measured students sitting NAPLAN in Year 3, 2019 and again in Year 5, 2021. Our school was one of the few identified as high performing.
- Our partnership with Mater Maria and St Paul’s guarantees a high school placement
Mater Maria is completely full at present – and for good reason, it’s an outstanding high school option. St Paul’s is transitioning to become co-ed and is another great choice for Northern Beaches parents. While parents of preschoolers aren’t typically thinking about high school, knowing that being part of St Joseph’s means you have a locked in place at one of these high schools is a huge relief when the time to apply (Year 4) comes about.
- We have a consistent teaching team who are focused on development
We have a specialised collaborative coaching program, headed up by one of our top teachers, our Assistant Principal Mrs Paul. She meets weekly with teachers to mentor and grow their skills. Our Principal Mrs Outred was the former Literacy Consultant for the Catholic Schools Diocese of Broken Bay, who spent 32 years as a teacher and Assistant Principal at other schools. We have a regular set of casuals too, so students are familiar with the broader teaching team. We also have a huge Teaching Aid team, which shifts around according to student’s requirements and offers even more focus on learning.
- We’re part of a broader network of schools in the Broken Bay Area
This relationship allows us to host Gala Days and Sporting representative and development opportunities (carnivals, specific sport comps etc), in which every single student can take part at some stage, as opposed to other models where only a few are selected. It also means our teachers take part in regular educational opportunities across key areas like literacy, mathematics and more.
Parents can book in for a personalised small group tour of our school by calling 72562134 or emailing sjn@dbb.catholic.edu.au.
You don’t need to be Catholic to attend the school (that’s another frequently asked question). You can find the answers to that and more right here.
Enrolments are now open for 2024 and we’d love to show you around!