Character education – it’s at the core of what we do
At St Andrew’s Cathedral School, we are committed to helping every student flourish. Through a strong culture of care, intentional pastoral support, our distinctive Character Education Programme and a commitment to respectful relationships, students are encouraged to grow academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.
Our Character Education Programme provides a foundation for students to develop the strengths, habits and values that equip them to contribute positively to their communities and respond thoughtfully to the opportunities and challenges of life. These strengths are embedded in daily school life. Visual reminders can be found throughout classrooms and shared spaces, while “Strength Spotter” stickers in Junior School and Gawura School recognise students who demonstrate these strengths through their actions, choices and interactions.
At every stage of their schooling, students are encouraged to understand the importance of healthy, respectful relationships. Through wellbeing programmes, classroom learning, co-curricular experiences and everyday interactions, they learn to treat others with dignity, approach differences with curiosity, and respond with empathy and compassion. These qualities strengthen friendships, foster a sense of belonging and create learning environments in which students feel safe, connected and ready to engage.
The care of each student is led by their tutor in Secondary School or classroom teacher in Junior School and Gawura School. Where additional support is beneficial, families can access a broader network of care, including Grade Leaders, Heads of Year, Heads of House, specialist staff, members of the Executive and our school psychologists.
We value the partnership between school and home and look forward to journeying alongside you and your child. Together, we seek to nurture young people of character who build strong relationships, contribute positively to their communities, and approach life with confidence, compassion and purpose.
Bronwyn Wake
Head of Character and Wellbeing, K-12
School Psychologist
bwake@sacs.nsw.edu.au
– Junior School and Gawura School
To find out more about our Junior School programmes visit our website:
– Middle School
To find out about our Tutor Groups, House system and Middle School Counsellors visit our website:
– Senior College
To find out about our Tutor Groups, House system and Senior College Counsellors visit our website:
Specialised Learning
It is the role of the Specialised Learning Team to work closely with teachers, students, parents and outside professionals to cater for the individual needs of students. We also work closely with our school counselors, pastoral staff and Head of Careers and Pathways.
This collaborative approach ensures communication and sharing where parents and professionals work together, supporting each other to provide a learning environment that is differentiated and accessible. At St Andrew’s Cathedral School, teachers are mindful of students’ social, emotional, spiritual and academic development. We aim to create a learning environment where students can access the curriculum, have opportunities to contribute to class discussions and participate in class activities.
– Junior School and Gawura School
Specialised Learning in the Junior School and Gawura School is led by the Head of Specialised Learning, Ms Cathy Dangar (CDangar@sacs.nsw.edu.au), and supported by a team of teachers and aides. Please contact Ms Cathy Dangar with any questions or to provide additional information that will assist the school in meeting your child’s individual learning needs.
Key staff
Ms Cathy Dangar
Head of Specialised Learning
02 9009 5406
Ms Erin McCormic
EAL/D Specialist and Stage 2 Case Manager
emccormic@sacs.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Jenny Dennis
Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 Case Manager
jdennis@sacs.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Louise Pinkstone
Stage 3 Case Manager
lpinkstone@sacs.nsw.edu.au
To find out more about Junior School Learning Support visit our website:
– Middle School
In our Middle School, the team is led by the Head of Specialised Learning, Mrs Tammy Campbell, and comprises of Ms Heaven Lee (EAL/D); Specialised Learning Case Managers – Ms Terri Katakouzinos (Year 7-8) and Ms Tonya Agostini (Year 9); and a team of support assistants.
Please contact Specialised Learning with any questions or to provide additional information that will assist the school in meeting your child’s individual learning needs.
Key staff:
Mrs Tammy Campbell
Head of Specialised Learning
02 9286 9558
tcampbell@sacs.nsw.edu.au
Ms Heaven Lee
Assistant Head of Department, EAL/D Specialist
02 9286 9584
hlee@sacs.nsw.edu.au
To find out more about Middle School Learning Support visit our website:
– Senior College
Our collaborative approach ensures communication and sharing where parents and professionals work together, supporting each other to provide a learning environment that is differentiated and accessible.
This team is led by the Head of Specialised Learning, Mrs Tammy Campbell. The Senior College team comprises of Ms Heaven Lee (EAL/D), Specialised Learning Case Managers: Mr Adam Cassidy, Mr James Bottrill and Mr Alex McPherson a team of support assistants.
Please contact Ms Tammy Campbell tcampbell@sacs.nsw.edu.au with any questions, concerns or to provide additional information that will assist the school in meeting your child’s individual learning needs.
Key staff:
Mrs Tammy Campbell
Head of Specialised Learning
02 9286 9558
tcampbell@sacs.nsw.edu.au
Ms Heaven Lee
Assistant Head of Department, EAL/D Specialist
02 9286 9584
hlee@sacs.nsw.edu.au
To find out more about Senior College Learning Support visit our website:
Gifted and Talented Education programme
At St Andrew’s Cathedral School we seek to ensure that every learner is challenged intellectually and enjoys a wide range of opportunities that enhance achievement. Gifted and talented students are recognised as having unique educational needs and are catered for in order that their learning outcomes are optimised.
– Junior School
As a Christian school, we have a responsibility to recognise a wide range of student abilities, and to provide challenging educational experiences for all students, helping them to achieve their God-given potential (Matthew 25:14-30; Romans 12:6). This includes students of high academic potential or gifted and talented students.
Student nominations may be gathered from parents, students and staff and considered alongside academic records from school-wide semester screening. Objective data from standardised tests in Mathematics, Comprehension and Vocabulary, group reading tests, Mathematics diagnostic tests, NAPLAN assessments and ICAS competitions, as well as subjective data from teachers, is collated by the Gifted Education Committee in the selection process for class placement. Full psychometric assessments, provided by registered psychologists, also provide valuable information in the development of a student profile, and parents are urged to share such information with the school if it becomes available.
The Gifted Education Committee acts corporately as arbiter of any decisions regarding student placement. The Committee considers which students would benefit most by placement in an accelerated class or other cluster grouping that offers above-level learning options, in consultation with all stakeholders. Students offered placement in the Acceleration Classes on a year by year basis.
As a K to 12 school on the same campus, St Andrew’s creates excellent pathways for gifted students as they transition to Secondary School. An innovative pathway for gifted students is the Project Catalyst Mentoring Programme. Selected Junior School students are paired with gifted Secondary School students to engage in weekly mentoring sessions. This special programme allows our younger students to be inspired by the expertise and enthusiasm of older students and work together on a project or competition of their choice.
The Junior School Gifted and Talented Coordinator position is led by Rebecca Radloff. Rebecca (rradloff@sacs.nsw.edu.au) has post-graduate qualifications in Gifted Education.
Other staff with specialised post graduate Gifted Education qualifications or training include Mrs Rhonda Robson, Mrs Kate Robertson and Mrs Lucy Whelan.
Each year a Parent Information Evening is held, outlining the school’s position and direction in Gifted Education. At St Andrew’s, our provisions for gifted students continue to expand each year as we seek to cater for this special group of learners. If you would like to learn more about our programmes, provisions, or scholarships please be in touch.
To find out more about Junior School Gifted Education visit our website:
– Middle School
At St Andrew’s Cathedral School, our Gifted Education program in Years 7 to10 nurtures academic excellence, challenge, opportunity, and purpose in an environment that supports the whole child.
Grounded in gifted education research and best practice, our approach recognises that giftedness represents potential, while talent is developed through the right combination of opportunity, effort, and support. Giftedness takes many forms, academic, creative, musical, sporting or leadership, and requires intentional development through rich, responsive, and inclusive programs.
Teacher Expertise and Professional Learning
Our commitment to gifted education begins with our teachers. Over 55 staff members have completed the UNSW Mini-Certificate of Gifted Education (Mini-COGE). Ongoing professional learning ensures that every teacher understands how to recognise potential, differentiate instruction, and design rigorous and responsive learning environments. This professional culture, supported by regular PD, coaching and collaboration, support teachers to create learning environments where curiosity, challenge, and care thrive together.
Identification
Gifted identification is universal, ongoing, and collaborative, involving teachers, parents, and student voice. Using a range of quantitative and qualitative measures, we ensure that each student’s profile of abilities is recognised and nurtured. Identification informs both curriculum design and the provision of individualised academic and wellbeing support.
Gifted Provisions In and Beyond the Classrooms
Gifted and high-ability students engage in:
- Extension classes in core subjects (Years 7–10), reviewed annually
- Advanced Music and Languages classes for specialised development
- Acceleration for suitably able students
- Competitions and co-curricular challenges that connect students with like-minded peers
- Curriculum compacting, telescoping, and differentiation deep engagement and challenge.
Across all subjects, teachers foster higher-order thinking and problem-solving, while building sophisticated communication and writing skills. The program draws on the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) framework, emphasising inquiry, reflection, and global connection. Students develop strong Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills in time management, research, and metacognition, empowering students to take ownership of their learning and see the link between knowledge and real-world purpose.
Purposeful Learning and Leadership
Beyond academic achievement, our program encourages students to use their abilities for good. Students explore how knowledge can be applied to solve real problems and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
A key feature of this approach is our Innovation & Changemakers Tours — unique international experiences designed exclusively for gifted and high-ability students. St Andrew’s Cathedral School is the only school in Australia offering a dedicated overseas tour program that connects academic talent with real-world purpose. These tours allow students to apply their learning in cross-cultural contexts, collaborate with global experts, and see first-hand how ideas can create impact and change.
Our purposeful learning opportunities helps students connect intellect with impact, curiosity with contribution, and ability with service, nurturing future innovators and compassionate leaders who use their gifts to make a difference.
Supporting the Whole Student
Gifted Education at St Andrew’s is deeply relational. Students are supported through:
- Executive functioning and self-regulation programs
- Pastoral care, mentoring, and case management for underachieving and twice-exceptional students
- Close collaboration between teachers, counsellors, and families to ensure wellbeing and balanced growth
Please contact Ms Estee Stephenson, Director of Learning (Academic Progress) or phone 9009 5487 if you wish to discuss the specific needs of your gifted and talented identified child in more detail. Ms Stephenson has a Masters qualification in both Special Education and Gifted Education.
Key staff:
Ms Estee Stephenson
Director of Learning (Academic Progress)
02 9009 5487
estephenson@sacs.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Angela James
Gifted and Talented Teacher (Secondary)
02 9009 5487
ajames@sacs.nsw.edu
To find out more about Middle School Gifted Education visit our website:
– Senior College
At St Andrew’s Cathedral School, our Gifted Education program in Years 11 and 12 continues to nurture academic excellence, challenge, opportunity, and purpose in an environment that supports the whole student.
Building on the strong foundations established in the Middle Years, the Senior College program emphasises independence, depth, and direction, guiding students to refine their abilities and apply them with confidence and purpose.
Grounded in research and best practice, our approach recognises that giftedness represents potential, while talent is realised through deliberate opportunity, sustained effort, and support. In the senior years, giftedness may be demonstrated through academic performance, creative innovation, leadership, or specialised expertise, all of which are fostered through personalised pathways.
Teacher Expertise and Professional Learning
Our commitment to gifted education begins with our teachers. Over 55 staff members have completed the UNSW Mini-Certificate of Gifted Education (Mini-COGE). Regular professional learning, coaching, and collaboration ensure that every Senior College teacher can recognise potential, differentiate instruction, and design rigorous and responsive learning environments.
Identification
Gifted identification in the Senior College remains individualised, ongoing, and collaborative, drawing on student voice, teacher insight, performance data, and wellbeing information. Our holistic identification process ensures that students’ strengths, interests, and learning profiles are recognised as they plan their senior pathways and post-school goals.
Gifted Provisions In and Beyond the Classroom
Gifted and high-ability students in Years 11 and 12 access a range of provisions that support both challenge and choice, including:
- Extension 1 and 2 courses (HSC) and Higher Level subjects (IB DP) for academic depth
- Acceleration and early university programs for suitably able students
- Research and major project opportunities encouraging creativity and independence
- Academic mentoring and coaching to strengthen executive functioning and self-regulation
Both the Higher School Certificate (HSC) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) provide excellent pathways for gifted learners. The HSC allows for targeted specialisation and extension, while the IB DP offers interdisciplinary breadth, inquiry, and global perspective through Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). These options cultivate critical thinking, ethical understanding, and a lifelong love of learning.
Purposeful Learning and Future Pathways
In the Senior College, purposeful learning becomes personal. Students are guided to link their academic interests with their emerging sense of purpose and direction. Through mentoring and careers counselling, students are supported to explore university options, scholarships, and future study or vocational pathways aligned with their strengths and aspirations.
Supporting the Whole Student
Gifted Education in the Senior College remains relational and holistic. Students benefit from:
- Individual mentoring to balance workload and wellbeing
- Executive functioning and self-regulation support tailored to senior demands
- Pastoral and counselling partnerships to support wellbeing and balance.
- Collaborative communication between families, teachers, and the Gifted Education team to ensure sustained challenge and care
Our aim is for every student to graduate as an independent, reflective, and purposeful learners, ready to use their gifts to make a meaningful difference in their chosen field and in the wider world.
Please contact Ms Estee Stephenson, Director of Learning (Academic Progress) or phone 9009 5487 if you wish to discuss the specific needs of your gifted and talented identified child in more detail. Ms Stephenson has a Masters qualification in both Special Education and Gifted Education.
Key staff:
Ms Estee Stephenson
Director of Learning (Academic Progress)
02 9009 5487
estephenson@sacs.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Angela James
Gifted and Talented Teacher (Secondary)
02 9286 9487
ajames@sacs.nsw.edu.au
To find out more about Senior College Gifted Education visit our website: