In teaching literacy, the landscape in Catholic schools in Melbourne is deep with traditions of faith-filled education.

Our motivations are framed by social justice principles of participation, equity and access so that every child is enabled through literate practices to realise diverse life goals.

Our ideal outcome is for all children to develop deep understanding of the linguistic meaning making systems necessary for a just community and world.

We work in the context of collective responsibility for students’ literacy learning, with schools and Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) sharing knowledge and understandings about what improves literacy learning, what students’ literacy learning needs are and how, and by whose agency, literacy goals will be achieved.

A Vision for Literacy

Through sustained investment in literacy leadership and teachers’ professional learning we aim to create a landscape of shared beliefs about literacy learning and teaching so that all students are able to lead literate lives. This requires sustained attention from all of us, teachers, leaders and MACS.

Our vision is one where literacy practice is:

• congruent with state and national directions
• transformative because it is relevant, current and research driven
• coherent across transition points of schooling through high levels of shared understandings.

Where literacy leaders and teachers are:

• energised by collaborative, productive relationships with colleagues
• focused, strategic, skillful and creative
• knowledgeable about pedagogy and content
• knowledgeable about the systems of the English language
• knowledgeable about their students and their communities
• knowledgeable about effective classroom practices for engaged learning.