2025 K-12 Curriculum Reform Conference | 29 & 30 September

About this event

Enlivening hearts and minds!

Catholic Schools NSW will bring together experts in education, curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and Catholic mission to build on the success of the past two years in continuing to support and inform diocesan school systems and schools in the implementation of the NSW curriculum reform.

The 2025 conference will pick up on the key themes of bringing to life the educational mission of the Catholic Church through the NSW Curriculum Reform.

The theme, Enlivening hearts and minds aims to explore the educational mission of the Catholic church through the delivery of the NSW Curriculum Reform that is centred on the learner, with hope-filled orientation that is future-focused.

Key Areas will include: 

• Delivery of the NSW Curriculum Reform
• Development of new syllabuses
• Place of Liberal Arts in Catholic education
• Assessment
• Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning 

Reinvent the Classroom Podcast

In this special episode of the Reinvent the Classroom Podcast, Monica O’Brien and Mary Ryan explore the upcoming 2025 K-12 Curriculum Reform Conference with Brett Salakas.

LISTEN HERE

Last years conference was sold-out!

Register now to secure your place to join YOUR Catholic community at this distinctly Catholic PL!

REGISTER ON EVENTBRITE NOW

Once you have your tickets, you will save on accommodation...

Discounted Hotel Accommodation

Accor is offering our wonderful conference delegates a 10%* discount when booking the following hotels in the Olympic Precinct a short stroll to the conference venue:

• Ibis Sydney Olympic Park
• Novotel Sydney Olympic Park 

• Pullman at Sydney Olympic Park 

  To book CLICK HERE

Please note: This conference is specifically for Catholic educators in NSW. For any enquiries contact professionallearning@csnsw.catholic.edu.au. 

Meet your MC:

Libby Denny

Libby Denny has served Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Sydney for over 40 years as teacher, middle leader in Pastoral Care/Wellbeing and Curriculum, Assistant Principal and Principal. Libby’s previous roles include Regional Consultant for Sydney Catholic Schools, Manager and Director of System Performance. 

Libby currently serves on a number of boards and committees including Director of Marist Schools Australia, Member of the Governing Council for Good Samaritan Education and Deputy Chair of the Board of OLMC Parramatta. Libby also works as a Principal mentor and has recently completed qualifications in Professional and Pastoral Supervision. Libby provides pastoral supervision and accompaniment for senior leaders in ministry including diocesan and PJP school communities. 

Keynote Speakers:

We are thrilled to announce the following confirmed keynote speakers for the conference!

Professor Renee Köhler-Ryan
Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Academic Registrar - University of Notre Dame Australia
and, 
Director of the Institute for Ethics and Society

Renee holds her PhD in Philosophy from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Her research interests and publications are in the thought of St. Augustine and contemporary Catholic theology. She has been involved in Catholic Education, including training and forming teachers and leaders for over 12 years. She has served as a board member of Mary Aikenhead Education Ministries and a non-bishop voting member of the Synod.

She has published Companions in the Between: Augustine, Desmond, and their Communities of Love, and has a published article on Edith Stein, with a forthcoming book on Stein's Essays on Woman. (2026).   Professor Köhler-Ryan also designed the Graduate Certificate in Catholic Thought for the formation of teachers who want to teach Studies in Catholic Thought.

Dr. Ben Jensen
CEO - Learning First
Ben has advised governments in Australia, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia on education strategy and reform. Before founding Learning First in 2014, he was director of the Grattan Institute’s School Education Program. He also worked with numerous education systems across the world during five years at the OECD, where he conducted research on education policy and school and teacher effectiveness.

Ben has a particular interest in the "learning of the curriculum" through the quality delivery and assessment of the curriculum. 
 

Paul Cahill
Executive Director, Curriculum Reform, NESA

Paul Cahill is the Executive Director of the Curriculum Reform division at the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA). Paul has worked at NESA for five years and over the past eighteen months has been leading Curriculum Reform, the biggest overhaul of the education system in more than 30 years. Before his time at NESA Paul was Head of Secondary Curriculum at Sydney Catholic Schools.

What does a CSNSW Curriculum Conference look like?

Thanks for a great conference. I had leaders, and teachers who all gained valuable insights.  
2024 Attendee

Last September, over 400 teachers and education leaders from across the state gathered for an energising two-days at the Animating the Curriculum for Human Flourishing K-12 Curriculum Reform Conference. The conference included: 

• International keynote speaker Fr Johnny Go who posed the questions: How can we teach reasoned assent to help our students become thinking believers or at least spiritual seekers, & not just obedient believers?
• Keynote Professor Jenny Gore who shared the findings and impact of the Building Capacity for Quality Teaching in Australian Schools project.
• Over 22 sessions, with presenters from NESA and our own colleagues from our Catholic Education Offices and schools from across NSW, sharing practice, resources, case studies and next steps in Curriculum reform in our Catholic schools.

A really positive and dynamic conference. Thank you for the thought provoking and challenging conversations! 
2024 Attendee

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CSNSW THANKS OUR SPONSORS

PLANNING AHEAD

We have chosen a venue that is conveniently located close to a range of transport options plus ample parking.

Arriving by Train 

Accor Stadium is easily accessible on the Sydney Trains network. The closest train station to Accor Stadium is Olympic Park, which is just a short 5-minute walk from the station.

You can catch a train from Lidcombe Station direct to Olympic Park, with services operating every 10 to 20 minutes. This makes it a convenient and eco-friendly travel option.

Arriving by Bus

Accor Stadium is easily accessible by bus, with Sydney Buses operating a number of services to Sydney Olympic Park including:

• Route 525 runs between Parramatta and Strathfield via Sydney Olympic Park.
• Route 526 runs from Rhodes to Burwood via Sydney Olympic Park Ferry Wharf
• Route 533 runs from Sydney Olympic Park to Chatswood via Rhodes and North Ryde

Parking at Stadium

The conference venue is adjacent to a large parking station, so there is ample parking for those wanting to drive.