Communities of Learning are developing around the country and are based on the Ministry of Education initiative “Investing in Educational Success”.  This Government initiative aims to raise the learning and achievement of children and young people, particularly those who are most at risk of not achieving.

IES provides a process to get communities behind raising achievement for all children and young people through working together to identify and address common achievement challenges. It is intended to enable the most effective teachers and principals to share their knowledge and expertise across multiple schools, to everyone’s benefit. It is aimed at making it easier for schools to work together around a child’s journey through the education system to tackle educational challenges, and get the professional resources they need to do that.

A Christchurch Catholic Community of Learning has been approved by the Ministry of Education, and those schools involved are hard at work to finalise their achievement plan which will form the basis of their work together over the next 2 years.

What sets this Community of Learning apart is its unique identity; there are strong educational pathways between primary and secondary schools, and together the schools are fulfilling the mission of the Church: “Catholic education is above all a question of communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others.  First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth”  The Catholic Education of School-Age Children, para 11, 12.

The focus of the Community of Learning is student achievement and Faith development through a strong educational pathway.

The schools involved in the Christchurch Catholic Community of Learning are:

• St Mary’s School, Christchurch Central
• Our Lady of Victories School, Sockburn
• St Albans Catholic School
• St Anne’s School, Woolston
• St Teresa’s School, Riccarton
• St James School, Aranui
• St Joseph’s School, Rangiora
• Catholic Cathedral College
• Villa Maria College
• Marian College
• St Peter’s School, BEckenham
• St Thomas’ of Canterbury College
• St Bede’s College
• St Joseph’s School, Papanui
• Our Lady of the Assumption School, Hoon Hay