Catholic Education Matters

Catholic education plays a critical role in Australia’s education system but its value is not always well understood.

In this episode of Catholic Education Matters, our executive director Kate Fogarty is joined by Dallas McInerney, CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, for a conversation about leadership, funding and the future of Catholic education in Australia.

With a background spanning financial services, government regulation and international policy, Dallas brings a unique perspective to education leadership, one shaped by governance, complexity and clear thinking.

Together, Kate and Dallas explore:

• Why funding is mission-critical to sustaining Catholic education.
• Why the narrative around non-government school funding is often misunderstood and how it has been misrepresented.
• The need for clearer, more confident advocacy across staff, families and local communities.
• What Catholic education contributes not just to students, but to communities and society.

As the next funding cycle approaches, this conversation is a timely reminder: we cannot assume understanding. The story of Catholic education must be clearly and consistently told.

Whether you are leading a school, teaching in a classroom, supporting from the central team or part of the wider Catholic education community, this is a conversation about leadership, advocacy and the future of education in Australia.

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 51 Catholic schools and six early learning centres across regional and rural Victoria, educating 15,298 students. We empower regional young people, their families, our staff and communities to have 'life to the full' (John 10:10).

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

What does 'know better and do better' actually look like in the classroom?

In this episode of Catholic Education Matters, Executive Director Kate Fogarty is joined by Learning Leader Craig Simpson to explore one of the most powerful commitments within our Cultural Covenant: a passion to 'know better and do better'.

From memory and retrieval to routines, attention and the thoughtful use of technology, this episode connects research to the daily reality of classrooms; and to the culture we are building across our 51 schools in regional Victoria.

This episode forms part of our ongoing series unpacking the Cultural Covenant and what it enables across the Sandhurst Diocese.

Whether you are teaching in a classroom, leading a school, shaping system strategy or reflecting on your own professional growth, this is a conversation about growth, coherence and aligning culture with evidence.

Now join us as we explore what truly matters in education.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Catholic Education Sandhurst - Cultural Covenant
• Jared Cooney Horvath - The Digital Delusion
• LME Global - The science of learning
• Dr Aimee Maxwell
• Sir Ken Robinson - Ted Talk
• The Anxious Generation
• Stolen Focus
• Ochre Education
• Steplab
• Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve
• Barbara Oakley

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 51 Catholic schools across regional and rural Victoria, educating 15,490 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story.

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

What does culture look like when it’s named, shared and lived across a whole system?

At the beginning of 2026, Catholic Education Sandhurst launched something that will quietly shape our system for years to come, our new Cultural Covenant.

In this episode, Executive Director Kate Fogarty is joined by principals Alannah Darmody (St Liborius Primary School, Eaglehawk) and Joel Brian (St Brendan’s Primary School, Shepparton), to unpack what the Cultural Covenant means, how it was received across schools, and what it makes possible for our young people, their families, our staff and communities to live 'life to the full'.

The Cultural Covenant has been shaped by leaders, teachers and allied staff across the Sandhurst diocese. It answers four powerful questions:

1. Why do we exist?
2. What do we do?
3. How will we behave?
4. How will we succeed?

This episode marks the beginning of a series of conversations unpacking the Cultural Covenant and what it enables across our 51 schools in regional Victoria.

Whether you are leading a school, teaching in a classroom, supporting from the central team, or considering joining Catholic Education Sandhurst, this is a conversation about culture, clarity and the quiet power of shared purpose.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

1. Catholic Education Sandhurst - Cultural Covenant
2. St Liborius Primary School Eaglehawk
3. St Brendan's Primary School Shepparton
4. Careers at Catholic Education Sandhurst
5. Patrick Lencioni

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 51 Catholic schools across regional and rural Victoria, educating 15,490 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story.

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Literacy is not a matter of luck, postcode or chance; it’s a matter of equity, access and social justice.

In this episode of Magnify Matters, Distinguished Professor Pamela Snow, one of Australia’s leading voices in literacy, language and the science of learning, joins Tim Edwards (Catholic Education Sandhurst Assistant Director: Learning and Teaching) for a conversation about what it takes to ensure every child learns to read well.

Pam reflects on the personal, professional and research journey that has shaped her national leadership in literacy, from speech pathology and brain injury rehabilitation to her advocacy for evidence-informed reading instruction and the establishment of La Trobe University’s SOLAR Lab.

As a trusted contributor to early Magnify Sandhurst conversations, Pam helps connect decades of research to the lived realities of classrooms, teachers and systems working to lift learning outcomes for every student.

In this episode, Tim and Pam explore:

1. Why learning to read is a social justice issue, not an individual outcome.
2. What cognitive science tells us about how children learn to read and why the debate went on for so long.
3. Why the first three years of school matter more than any later intervention.
4. How strong Tier 1 instruction supports both learning and wellbeing.
5. The role of speech pathologists and interdisciplinary collaboration in schools.
6. Why lifting teacher expertise lifts the profession itself.

Whether you’re teaching in the early years, leading a school, shaping system-wide improvement or supporting learning at home, this episode offers clear principles, grounded insight and a strong case for doing fewer things — better — for every learner.

Now stay with us as we magnify what truly matters in education.

Mentioned in this episode

1. Professor Pamela Snow
2. The Snow Report
3. The Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab
4. Magnify Sandhurst
5. Catholic Education Sandhurst

Catholic Education Sandhurst rolled out Magnify Sandhurst, an evidence-informed, science of learning school improvement initiative, to its 51 Catholic schools across the Sandhurst Diocese at the beginning of 2025. Magnify Sandhurst focuses on how the brain learns, how literacy is effectively taught, uses a low variance, knowledge-rich curriculum and the creation of positive classrooms. Our practice is calm, predictable, and repeatable to maximise learning time in all classrooms. Magnify Sandhurst is deliberately bold and wide-ranging, generating whole-of-system improvement.

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 51 Catholic schools across rural and regional Victoria, educating more than 15,490 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story.

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Catholic Education Sandhurst Executive Director Kate Fogarty is joined by Tom Sexton, Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Executive Director, to discuss the recent enterprise bargaining wage offer from the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) and Catholic school employers. 

Drawing on their front-row view, Kate and Tom reflect on taking an unprecedented step of putting a best-offer directly to employees, the realities of cost-of-living pressures, and why unity and portability across Catholic employers still matter. 

It’s a candid, good-faith conversation about leadership under pressure, communicating through noise, and keeping students, staff, and mission at the centre of decision-making.

Now join us as we explore what truly matters in education.

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 51 Catholic schools across regional and rural Victoria, educating 15,490 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story. 

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

In this episode of Catholic Education Matters, host Ashley Marsh is joined by speech pathologists Lauren Cook and Lauren Naish from Catholic Education Sandhurst for a practical conversation timed with Developmental Language Disorder Day.

DLD - a language difficulty you often can’t see - affects about 1 in 14 children. Lauren Cook and Lauren Naish unpack what DLD is, what it can look and sound like in classrooms, and how teachers and families can spot early signs and support students with simple, high-impact strategies.

In this episode, we explore:

• What DLD is and why the theme 'You can’t see DLD' matters for classrooms and families
• Early indicators across Foundation to Year 6
• Practical strategies teachers can use ie slower teacher talk, facing the class, concise instructions and visuals, and adjusting video playback
• Why oral language is foundational to literacy and how gaps in language can undermine even strong reading programs
• How system-wide OxEd screening and intervention will work in our schools 

Whether you’re a teacher, school leader or parent, this episode offers clarity, encouragement and next steps for supporting students with DLD, because when we make language visible, we open doors to learning for every child.

Now join us as we explore what truly matters in education.

Websites mentioned in this podcast:

Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (international site)

8 classroom tips

The DLD Project (Australian Site)

Speech Pathology Australia

Communication milestones

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 51 Catholic schools across regional and rural Victoria, educating 15,490 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story. 

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

What happens when a life of public service meets the mission of Catholic education?

In this episode of Catholic Education Matters, host Kate Fogarty is joined by Jacinta Collins, Executive Director of the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC), for a rich and reflective conversation on leadership, legacy and the future of Catholic education in Australia.

As Jacinta prepares to retire from her role, she shares insights from a remarkable career spanning politics, advocacy and education — from her early days in the Labor movement and Australian Parliament to leading the national body that represents 1,751 Catholic schools and more than 800,000 students.

Together, Kate and Jacinta explore:

• The journey from social work and politics to Catholic education leadership.
• The mission and role of the NCEC in shaping national education policy.
• The evolution of unity and purpose across Catholic education in Australia.
• How faith formation, teacher efficacy, and access to early learning are shaping the next generation.
• Jacinta's hopes for the future, and why every decision still begins with the student.

This episode is part of our series of conversations with executive directors of Catholic education around Australia

Whether you’re an educator, school leader, or part of the broader Catholic community, this conversation offers a heartfelt look at the people and purpose behind Catholic education in Australia.

Now join us as we explore what truly matters in education.

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 51 Catholic schools across regional and rural Victoria, educating 15,490 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story. 

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

What does system leadership look like when every decision starts with the student?

In this episode of Catholic Education Matters, host Kate Fogarty is joined by Dr Ed Simons, Executive Director of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools for a conversation about mission-driven system leadership and the practical work of lifting learning at scale.

Drawing on more than two decades across the UK and Australia — as teacher, principal, policy advisor and system leader — Ed reflects on governance, culture and the centrality of calm, safe, respectful classrooms. He shares why coherence matters, how to support teacher expertise, and what it takes to keep the student at the centre of every decision.

Together, Kate and Ed explore:

• How system coherence and culture give teachers clarity without losing local context.
• The work ahead on attendance and behaviour - and building predictable, positive classrooms.
• Evidence-informed priorities that protect learning time (including smart use of technology).
• Supporting teacher growth through clear curriculum, coaching and leadership formation.
• Why Catholic identity and mission shape the purpose and direction of the whole system.

This episode is part of our series of conversations with executive directors of Catholic education around Australia

Whether you’re in the classroom, in school leadership or shaping system strategy, this is a must-listen conversation about purpose, reform and the future of Catholic education.

Now join us as we explore what truly matters in education.

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 51 Catholic schools across regional and rural Victoria, educating 15,490 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story. 

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

In this episode of Catholic Education Matters, host Kate Fogarty is joined by Elena Pasquini Douglas, founder of Knowledge Society and a passionate advocate for bringing research and evidence to the forefront of education reform.

Drawing on her deep experience working with leaders in education, health and government, Elena reflects on what it takes to move from good intentions to meaningful impact, and why Catholic schools have a unique opportunity to lead the way.

Together, Kate and Elena explore:

• The difference between high-performing and improving systems, and what we can learn from them.
• The role of school leadership and teacher expertise in student achievement.
• Why “learning to teach better” is a system-level responsibility.
• How Catholic schools can live their mission by embedding evidence in every classroom.

Whether you're in the classroom, in system leadership or simply passionate about improving outcomes for every child, this is a must-listen conversation about purpose, reform and the future of Catholic education.

Classroom Mastery provides leaders and teachers with the knowledge, skills and strategies they need to create classroom behaviours and school culture that foster positive learning environments for all students.

Catholic Education Sandhurst rolled out Magnify Sandhurst, an evidence-informed, science of learning school improvement initiative, to its 51 Catholic schools across the Sandhurst Diocese at the beginning of 2025. Magnify Sandhurst focuses on how the brain learns, how literacy is effectively taught, uses a low variance, knowledge-rich curriculum and the creation of positive classrooms. Our practice is calm, predictable, and repeatable to maximise learning time in all classrooms. Magnify Sandhurst is deliberately bold and wide-ranging, generating whole-of-system improvement.  

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 55 Catholic schools across Central and North Eastern Victoria, educating 19,750 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story. 

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

For six years, Bishop Shane Mackinlay has served as a wise and steady leader in the Sandhurst Diocese; guiding its parishes, championing Catholic education, and helping to shape a shared vision for the future.

Now, as he prepares to step into his new role as Archbishop of Brisbane, Bishop Shane joins host Kate Fogarty for a personal and reflective conversation on leadership, legacy and the next chapter ahead.

From the formation of Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited and the introduction of system-wide governance, to his deep commitment to synodality and a Church that walks with its people, Bishop Shane shares the insights, learnings and moments that have shaped his time in Sandhurst and how they will guide him into the future.

In this episode, we explore:

• The journey from parish priest to bishop, and now archbishop
• The legacy of building a diocesan education system and fostering synodality
• What Bishop Shane has learned about leadership, governance and shared vision
• Why Catholic education holds a special place in his heart
• What excites him - and challenges him - about leading the Archdiocese of Brisbane

This episode offers a heartfelt farewell and a fitting reflection on a leader whose legacy will continue to shape Sandhurst for years to come.

Catholic Education Sandhurst is home to 55 Catholic schools across Central and North Eastern Victoria, educating 19,750 students. We partner with schools, students and families to provide innovation and excellence in education, inspired by the Catholic story. 

Visit www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.