Academic Excellence

At St Richard’s, our Catholic identity is lived each day through action. Guided by the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching, we encourage students to make a positive difference in their community. Students participate in initiatives such as supporting Caritas Australia and other charities, leading our Fire Carriers program to honour and celebrate Indigenous culture, and working with our Parish St Vincent de Paul group through Mini Vinnies to support those in need. Through these experiences, students learn that faith is expressed through service, compassion and justice — living out what it means to be the face of Christ in our world.

As part of the MACS Vision for Instruction, St Richard’s uses an explicit teaching model to support all primary students in becoming fluent, confident and literate. In collaboration with OCHRE, we deliver a rich and detailed curriculum grounded in high-quality literature, with learning differentiated and extended to meet the diverse needs of all students.

As part of the MACS Vision for Instruction, St Richard’s provides all students with access to a rich, coherent and sequential Mathematics program using OCHRE resources, designed to build deep understanding, procedural fluency and mathematical reasoning from Prep–6. Grounded in research-based explicit teaching (Rosenshine, 2012), our Mathematics instruction balances conceptual understanding, hands-on learning and problem-solving, with teachers differentiating to meet the diverse needs of each student.

Humanities, including Civics and Citizenship and History, is taught through an inquiry approach that begins with a rich, teacher-led shared investigation. After the teacher-led inquiry, students are then supported to take increasing ownership of their learning, independently exploring areas of interest that spark their curiosity and deepen their understanding.

Student wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. We foster a safe, positive environment where students grow in their sense of self, in relationship with God and others, recognising that wellbeing is essential for both engagement and learning.

St. Richard’s School has a comprehensive Physical Education program. Our focus is on providing our students with the knowledge, skills, and behaviours necessary for a lifelong involvement in physical activity, health, and wellbeing. Students have many opportunities to practise fundamental movement skills throughout the year and are encouraged to take on a variety of roles. By participating in games and engaging in community run clinics, they gain experience and develop respect for officials. They are also learning to participate safely, praise their peers, have fun, and stay active. All students receive one specialist Physical Education session per week as well as a sport lesson each week with their classroom teacher. Students in Years 3–6 participate in the annual Hoop Time Basketball Tournament, and Interschool Sport is offered to students in Years 5–6. All classes attend swimming lessons.

At St. Richard’s School, the Visual Arts curriculum inspires creativity and imagination while building confidence in self-expression and individuality. Students explore the elements of art—line, shape, colour, pattern, and texture—through weekly, hands-on experiences such as drawing, painting, construction, collage, textiles, modelling, and digital art. These 2D and 3D explorations draw on both traditional and contemporary cultural practices, including learning about and respectfully engaging with Indigenous Australian art. Students explore the stories, symbols, and connections to Country that are central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks, deepening their understanding of Australia’s rich cultural heritage. Through their artwork, students express their ideas and identities, with their achievements celebrated at our biannual Art Show.

At St. Richard’s School, our Primary STEM program combines Science, Digital Technologies, and Design Technologies to spark curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking through hands-on learning. In Science, students investigate and experiment to understand the world around them. In Digital Technologies, they develop computational thinking, coding skills, and learn to use technology responsibly. In Design Technologies, students follow the design process to create, test, and improve solutions to real-world challenges. In Years 3 and 4, students take part in our Kitchen Garden Program, where they grow, harvest, and prepare fresh produce. This experience builds practical skills and promotes sustainability, healthy living, and teamwork. Across STEM, students are encouraged to collaborate, think creatively, and persist through challenges, building confidence as capable and curious learners.

The Performing Arts program at St. Richard’s School is designed to foster creativity, imagination, and linguistic skills. By engaging with music, dance, and drama, students build the confidence necessary for public expression and collaborative performance. Performing Arts is a part of the Specialist Program for all students. The curriculum is designed to: Build Confidence: Encouraging students to find their voice and express their unique personality, as well as follow their interests. Enhance Communication: Developing verbal linguistic skills through scriptwork, song, and storytelling. Promote Well-being: Using movement and music as a tool for emotional and social growth. Development on performance and music literacy: Using correct terminology, instruments and notation to develop performances.  Incursions: Connections to community resources to deepen the learning and build engagement.  Our Performing Arts curriculum complements classroom learning and is integrated into the wider school culture. Every second year, students have the opportunity to showcase their talents in our biennial School Performance, a major event that brings our stories to life for the local and national community.

At St Richard’s, we embrace a Teachers as Co-Learners approach to Italian, where staff and students share in a journey of language discovery. Italian is explicitly taught each day in every classroom, with a focus on high-frequency vocabulary that is used authentically throughout the day to support meaningful communication. Our program places a strong emphasis on oral language, helping students see themselves as confident and capable Italian speakers. Through a functional approach, students build fluency and confidence by using Italian in everyday contexts.Text