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
-
31 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐๐ Happy World Teachersโ Day! ๐๐ Today we celebrate our wonderful teachers and thank them for the care, dedication, passion and commitment they bring to our school every day. You make a difference in the lives of our children, and we are so grateful for all that you do. An extra special highlight was seeing the beautiful effort our families went to in creating something special for their teachers as a token of their gratitude. Such a lovely reflection of the connections within our St Andrewโs community. These photos are just a small snapshot of our wonderful teaching team. Every one of our teachers is special in our St Andrewโs family, and we are so grateful for the dedication, care and passion you bring each day. Thank you for everything you do. We hope you feel celebrated today and every day! ๐ป๐30 Oct 2026
From Facebook
Year 5 have arrived safely at our excursion: The State Library! ๐๐๏ธ Looking forward to a fun day of learning and exploring Australia's history! ๐๐๐
Latest News More news
31 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐๐ Happy World Teachersโ Day! ๐๐ Today we celebrate our wonderful teachers and thank them for the care, dedication, passion and commitment they bring to our school every day. You make a difference in the lives of our children, and we are so grateful for all that you do. An extra special highlight was seeing the beautiful effort our families went to in creating something special for their teachers as a token of their gratitude. Such a lovely reflection of the connections within our St Andrewโs community. These photos are just a small snapshot of our wonderful teaching team. Every one of our teachers is special in our St Andrewโs family, and we are so grateful for the dedication, care and passion you bring each day. Thank you for everything you do. We hope you feel celebrated today and every day! ๐ป๐
30 Oct 2026
From Facebook
Year 5 have arrived safely at our excursion: The State Library! ๐๐๏ธ Looking forward to a fun day of learning and exploring Australia's history! ๐๐๐
29 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐๐ We are so excited to add even more colour and fun to our upcoming St Andrewโs Colour Run! ๐๐ A huge thank you to Snuggle Duds for providing these awesome shirts! Mr Beggs and Miss Anderson are already showing them off and getting into the Colour Run spirit! ๐๐จ We are so grateful for your support in helping make this event extra special for our St Andrewโs community. โค๏ธ ๐๏ธ RAFFLE TIME IS HERE! ๐๏ธ This week at assembly, we will begin drawing raffle winners for students who have made a progress donation of $10 or more! ๐. Our goal โฆ $15 000!!!! Keep those donations coming, spread the word and get ready for an amazing Colour Run! Letโs make our first-ever St Andrewโs Colour Run one to remember โ all while running for reading! ๐๐โโ๏ธ๐โโ๏ธ๐
27 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐๐ค Yesterday, many of our Year 6 students attended St Andrews College for their Year 7 Orientation day! We are so proud of our students as they prepare to graduate from primary school this term and take their exciting next steps into high school! It has been wonderful to see them grow, learn and develop throughout their primary years, and we are so excited for all the opportunities that lie ahead. As we support them through this special transition, we look forward to celebrating their achievements and preparing them for this exciting new chapter! ๐๐
24 Oct 2026
From Facebook
๐ Australian Mathematics Competition โ Congratulations, Year 5! ๐ A huge congratulations to our Year 5 students who participated in the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) last term! ๐ Our students tackled a series of challenging mathematical problems that stretched their reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They demonstrated fantastic focus, perseverance and grit, achieving awards ranging from Proficiency through to Distinction. The competition challenged students to think beyond familiar classroom problems, and we are incredibly proud of the way they embraced the challenge and represented our school. Well done to all our Year 5 mathematicians! Your hard work, determination and willingness to challenge yourselves deserve to be celebrated. ๐๐งฎ #AustralianMathematicsCompetition #Year5 #StudentAchievement #MathematicalThinking #SchoolPride
21 Oct 2026
From Facebook
What a beautiful day for school photos! โ๏ธ๐ธ Looking forward to seeing everyone looking their best and capturing some wonderful memories!
19 Oct 2026
From Facebook
19 Oct 2026
From Facebook
06 Oct 2026
From Facebook
28 Sep 2026
Celebrating 40 years of Voice of Youth and the power of student voice
Six Year 6 students from 58 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) Primary schools came together at St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens on 22 September for the Voice of Youth Grand Final, showcasing their public speaking skills through a series of thoughtful and engaging speeches.
25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
24 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Our social media is one small window into some of the wonderful things that happen across our schools every day. Youโve probably noticed that weโre changing some of the ways we share these stories as we put recent recommendations from the eSafety Commissioner into practice. You will start to see fewer identifiable student images, and more of what happens around them - the work, the creativity, the achievement, the teamwork and the people who make it all happen. Itโs a different way of telling the story. But there are still plenty of stories to tell! The safety and wellbeing of our students are always our highest priorities. This approach allows us to continue celebrating the learning, achievements and everyday moments that make our school communities so special, while being thoughtful about how student images are shared online. Our social media may look a little different, but that doesnโt mean you wonโt still see some faces from time to time as we work with schools and families to share identifiable images when they help to tell an important part of the story and where permissions have been provided. Our purpose remains the same: sharing the inspiring stories of our 80 school communities across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.