Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) has released its Closing the Gap Report 2026, detailing efforts to enhance educational equity, community engagement, and cultural capability across its 80 schools in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. The introduction of fee-free education for First Nations families is a particular highlight, resulting in a 14% increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments.
CSPD Chief Executive Officer Jack de Groot said the report demonstrates how CSPD continues to measure progress, identify opportunities for growth, and share the impact of its reconciliation journey.
"Education has the power to transform lives, strengthen communities and create opportunities for future generations. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, culturally responsive education is fundamental to fostering a strong sense of identity, belonging and achievement while supporting lifelong learning and success beyond school," Jack said.
The 2026 Report highlights key initiatives and achievements across education, procurement, digital inclusion, and social justice advocacy:
- Enrolment Growth & First Nations Fee Offering: Enrolments have grown from 863 First Nations students in 2021 to 1,382 in 2026. The introduction of the fee-free education offering from 1 January 2026 directly contributed to a 14% increase in First Nations enrolments this year alone.
- Academic & Senior Retention Gains: More than double the number of students achieved HSC Bands 5 and 6 over the past five years, while Year 10–12 retention rose significantly from 44.4% in 2020 to 64.5% in 2025.
- First Nations Digital Inclusion Working Group: Established with representation across the Jarara Cultural Centre, Student Support, IT, Finance & Infrastructure, Growth, Communications & Engagement, and a parent representative, the group is working to address gaps in device access, home connectivity, and digital literacy.
- Inclusive Procurement & Economic Participation: CSPD contracted VDG Indigenous Services—a certified First Nations supplier—for cleaning services across multiple schools under a contract valued at approximately $1.5 million per annum.
- Advocacy for Justice (Raise the Age): CSPD officially signed up to the Raise the Age campaign in NSW, advocating for justice system reforms that support and nurture vulnerable young people through community-led solutions rather than criminalisation.
Cultural Safety & Wellbeing: Fostered culturally responsive environments through the Jarara Cultural Centre, embedding dedicated yarning spaces, cultural immersion opportunities, cultural groups such as Birraygal Pillars of Culture Boys’ Mentoring Program and Strong Sisters Cultural Leadership Program and targeted pastoral support to strengthen identity, belonging, and wellbeing for First Nations students and families across all schools.
Looking ahead, CSPD remains committed to sustaining this trajectory through the ongoing implementation of its Innovate RAP 2025–2027, the rollout of its organisation-wide Cultural Learning Strategy, and deeper collaboration with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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25 Aug 2026
From Facebook
๐ค Voice of Youth โ Year 6 ๐ค Our Year 6 students recently participated in Voice of Youth. A lot of preparation, thought and hard work goes into creating and delivering these speeches. Our students researched their topics, developed their ideas, practised their delivery and built the confidence to stand up and share their voices with others. We are incredibly proud of the effort and dedication our Year 6 students demonstrated. It was wonderful to see them speak with confidence, passion and purpose. Well done, Year 6! Your voices matter, and we are so proud to hear them! ๐๐ค๐
22 Aug 2026
From Facebook
๐ถ๐ Symphony of Stories โ Book Week 2026! ๐๐ถ What a magical celebration of books, imagination and storytelling! โจ Our students embraced this yearโs โSymphony of Storiesโ theme, arriving in wonderfully creative costumes inspired by a range of fairy tales, storybook characters and different genres. ๐๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฆธโโ๏ธ They didnโt just dress the part , they truly became their characters, bringing their stories to life with confidence, creativity and some fantastic performances! ๐ญ๐ A huge thank you to our wonderful parents and families for joining us and helping make Book Week such a fun and memorable celebration. Your creativity, time and enthusiasm made the day extra special! โค๏ธ Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese #bookweek #SymphonyOfStories
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25 Aug 2026
From Facebook
๐ค Voice of Youth โ Year 6 ๐ค Our Year 6 students recently participated in Voice of Youth. A lot of preparation, thought and hard work goes into creating and delivering these speeches. Our students researched their topics, developed their ideas, practised their delivery and built the confidence to stand up and share their voices with others. We are incredibly proud of the effort and dedication our Year 6 students demonstrated. It was wonderful to see them speak with confidence, passion and purpose. Well done, Year 6! Your voices matter, and we are so proud to hear them! ๐๐ค๐
22 Aug 2026
From Facebook
๐ถ๐ Symphony of Stories โ Book Week 2026! ๐๐ถ What a magical celebration of books, imagination and storytelling! โจ Our students embraced this yearโs โSymphony of Storiesโ theme, arriving in wonderfully creative costumes inspired by a range of fairy tales, storybook characters and different genres. ๐๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฆธโโ๏ธ They didnโt just dress the part , they truly became their characters, bringing their stories to life with confidence, creativity and some fantastic performances! ๐ญ๐ A huge thank you to our wonderful parents and families for joining us and helping make Book Week such a fun and memorable celebration. Your creativity, time and enthusiasm made the day extra special! โค๏ธ Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese #bookweek #SymphonyOfStories
21 Aug 2026
From Facebook
๐ Year 1 Maths Fun! ๐ Our Year 1 students have been busy learning about making equal groups! Through hands-on activities and lots of discussion, students explored how to share objects into groups that have the same number in each group. They worked together to build, count and check their groups, developing their understanding of early multiplication and division concepts. โจ
20 Aug 2026
From Facebook
All Hands on Deck! ๐ This morning at Holy Trinity, it was truly all hands on deck! Our leadership team saw a need and stepped up to do something about it, working together, sharing ideas, problem-solving and making thoughtful decisions to support our youngest learners. At Holy Trinity, we are constantly making, reflecting on and reviewing decisions to ensure our little learners have the very best opportunities to learn, grow and thrive. ๐ฑ๐ Every hand makes a difference! ๐คโจ
20 Aug 2026
Six Habits That Help Children Develop a Love of Reading
Book Week is a celebration of stories, imagination and creativity, but helping children love reading isn't just something that happens during one week of the year. The good news? It doesn't take expensive resources or hours of extra time. Often, it's the small, everyday habits that make the biggest difference.
19 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Year 6 White During our morning circle time, students have been enjoying a positive primer activity to challenge our brains and get us ready for learning. Our favourite activity this week has been blindfolded continuous line drawing. We have been given 2 minutes to draw objects or snapshots as per Miss Murphyโs instruction. The challenge, draw the prompt on your whiteboard, with your eyes closed without lifting your marker. Here are our designs of a plant pot with a tall plant growing out of it.
18 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Year 6 Blue explored different ways Catholics pray and discovered that prayer is much more than simply saying words. Students participated in four different prayer station rotations, giving them the opportunity to experience and reflect on a variety of prayer practices.
17 Aug 2026
From Facebook
๐น Feast of the Assumption of Mary ๐น Holy Trinity and Delany College came together to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a beautiful way to begin our week by coming together in prayer and venerating Mary, the Mother of Christ and our Mother. May we continue to look to Mary as an example of faith, love and devotion. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us ๐๐ผ
15 Aug 2026
From Facebook
๐ Feast of the Assumption of Mary ๐ On 15 August, we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, honouring Maryโs faithful life and the belief that she was taken body and soul into Heaven. May Mary continue to guide, protect and pray for our Holy Trinity community, our families and our children. Our Lady of the Assumption, pray for us. ๐น #FeastOfTheAssumption #HolyTrinityCommunity #MaryOurMother #CatholicFaith
14 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Stage 3 students attended the CSPD Soccer Gala Day. It was a fantastic day filled with soccer, teamwork, developing tactics and plenty of fun. Our girlsโ team finished in an impressive second place, while the boysโ team finished the day in fourth place. A big thank you to Mrs Ibrahim for organising the day and supporting our selected Stage 3 students. Well done to all our students for representing our school with enthusiasm, teamwork and sportsmanship!
13 Aug 2026
From Facebook
๐โจ Our Book Fair is OPEN! โจ๐ The books have arrived and our Book Fair is ready! Come along and explore a wonderful selection of books. We canโt wait to see our students and families browsing, choosing and getting excited about their next great read! ๐
12 Aug 2026
From Facebook
This week in Year 4 Religion, our students have been exploring the inspiring people of prayer from the Hebrew Scriptures, including Jacob, Hannah, David, Isaiah and Daniel. Together, we began by learning about Jacob, using his story to discover how prayer can strengthen our faith, guide us through challenges, and help us trust in God. Students then researched one biblical person of prayer. They investigated the person's story, the challenges they faced, how they prayed, what they learned about God, and how their lives were transformed through prayer. Each group shared their findings with the class, helping us all learn from these remarkable examples of faith.