Curriculum Overview

Across all year levels at St Francis Xavier students are provided with a balanced curriculum that caters to the diversities of our students. Teaching staff, which consists of teachers from across Australia as well as local teachers and Assistant Teachers, integrate all learning areas with religion and culture to ensure our school vision and mission are at the forefront of everything we do.

Our Literacy and Numeracy blocks, and content taught within these, are in alignment with current research to ensure that our students progress is supported across all year levels in our school.

We have a whole school focus on social and emotional wellbeing and classes make time for mindfulness each day. Regular check-ins are made throughout the day and emotional regulation strategies are discussed and taught to further support our students. All staff ensure that trauma informed practice is at the center of everything that we do and safe spaces are set up in the school for student use. Students are further supported through access to a counsellor two days a week.

Our school provides students with a variety of extra-curricular activities including;

• Girls and boys group
• Football trips to other community
• Regular Darwin excursions
• Music production at school and with Red Dust
• Sporting schools expert coaches such as gymnastics, basketball and soccer

St Francis Xavier Catholic School

St Francis Xavier Catholic School was established in 1956 by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and is located in the picturesque Daly River region of the Northern Territory, approximately 220kms SW of Darwin.

The Nauiyu Community at Daly River has approximately 500 residents from 10 different language groups. The main traditional language spoken at Daly River is Ngungi Kurunggurr, with the traditional owners of the land being the Malak Malak people. Although traditional languages are still used, the dominant language spoken today is Aboriginal English. St Francis Xavier Catholic School caters for pre-school students through to post-primary education and currently has an enrolment of 75 students. The language of instruction throughout all year levels is English. As 95% of students attending, the school are Aboriginal and from a language background other than English, there is a strong emphasis on the teaching and learning of English as a second language.

The school follows the Australian Curriculum in addition to providing specialised learning programs focusing on Indigenous language and culture.
A Youth Re-engagement program is also being implemented at the school, which provides alternative programs for students who had previously left school and now wish to further their education.

The school consists of 6 classrooms, a computer lab, nutrition kitchen and a well-resourced library. A basketball court and under cover area have recently been built and a new culture centre takes pride of place in the school grounds.

The school offers a nutrition program providing breakfast, morning tea and lunch for all students.

Teaching and Learning

• Teachers work closely with an Indigenous assistant teachers who know and understands the students, families and their relationships
• Both teachers and assistant teachers bring a range of skills in a spirit of active and mutual participation in the teaching and learning process
• Learning Together’ sessions are on-site meetings where staff learn and plan in a cooperative group providing opportunities to develop teaching skills and to gain or share knowledge about cross-cultural situations and the school curriculum
• All students learn using English as a second or additional language. Teachers are provided with introductory and on- going support for teaching ESL
• Religious Education is a key priority for Indigenous people in Indigenous Catholic Community Schools
• Professional Learning is provided for teachers to deliver school designated approaches to literacy and numeracy

We also run a Homeland School called St Michael’s at Wudicapildyerr (119 kms from Nauiyu) for students aged from Preschool to Yr 12.

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