Teachers will access contextualised professional learning, career progression and employment opportunities.

• FASTstream – participants receive one-to-one coaching and mentoring from current school leaders, whilst completing placements tailored to individual development needs.
• Rural Experience Program – an over-establishment teaching placement available to full-time permanent teachers who currently work in schools that are not identified as rural or remote.
  
• Rural and Remote Leadership Development Program – an action-orientated program for aspiring and current rural and remote leaders, focused on contextual leadership.

Teachers will have access to learning resources to meet their community’s needs and context in a variety of areas.

Arts and sports

• Annex Art – teachers work with a visiting artist in their area of expertise, developing artworks throughout the day.
• Arts Unit digital resources – a library of interactive digital resources to support students and teachers in dance, drama, music, visual arts, debating, public speaking and VET entertainment.
• Rural and remote water safety education – school swimming and water safety education that addresses a variety of aquatic environments including those specific to rural and remote settings.
  
• Representative Sport Pathway – staff who participate in programs (as officials or in organisational roles) are provided with resources and opportunities to develop their skills.
• Sports Unit teacher professional learning – workshops that focus on becoming coaches, leaders and role models in sport and physical activity in rural and remote schools.

Collegial support and professional learning

• Aurora College – teacher professional learning – high quality, registered professional learning which is aligned to the department’s priorities. They take place online and after school hours.
• Educational Pathways Pilot Program – support to increase expertise of specialist staff in selected rural schools to assist students with their career decision making.
• Rural Learning Exchange – providing resources and mentoring support to inexperienced teachers delivering Stage 6 courses in small schools.
• Rural and Remote Network Initiatives – provides rural and remote schools the opportunity to develop innovative curriculum programs for their students.
• Transition support training – training for staff who are members of the school’s Career and Transition team or work with at-risk (or another identified group of) students.
• Work Education and Work Studies curriculum support – Statewide (virtual) staffroom, for those who teach Work Education 7-10 and Work Studies Stage 6.

Early Childhood

• Early Childhood professional learning e-modules – including modules that explore the National Quality Standard, the Early Years Learning Framework and Early Childhood educational leadership.

High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE)

• HPGE Early Adopter Schools Network – follow the HPGE journey of the early adoption schools.
• HPGE Policy Illustrations of Practice – these resources demonstrate how schools have implemented the HPGE Policy in their unique contexts (including rural and remote schools).
• HPGE Professional Learning Facilitator Network – a network established to provide Tier 1 professional learning to rural and remote schools.

HSC support

• Best in Class: HSC professional learning: a quality teaching practice initiative – a one-day intensive PL session where Stage 6 teachers explore proven methods for achieving student lift with expert HSC colleagues from across the state. Register for Term 4, 2021 now.
• Rural and Remote Marking Program – providing rural HSC teachers with the opportunity to undertake external marking with NESA online.

Literacy and numeracy

• Best in class: Maintaining a focus on literacy and numeracy in secondary: writing – online learning to support secondary teachers with focusing on students’ literacy development.

Multicultural education

• Anti-racism education – rural and remote educators have access to professional learning and support to assist them in countering racism.

Supporting students with additional needs

• Disability Inclusion Dance Workshops – teacher and students workshops that focus on supporting students with disability in the performing arts.
• Physical activity opportunities for students with disability – teachers enhance their understanding of inclusive sports and learn new ways of adapting lessons.
• EAL/D and refugee student education – Multicultural Education – supporting staff to develop strategies, share ideas, seek advice and build resources as a community of schools.

Teachers will have knowledge of wellbeing support services to meet student needs.

• Aboriginal Learning and Engagement Centres (PDF file, 258 KB) – wellbeing, academic and cultural support to increase outcomes for secondary Aboriginal students.
• Integrated Aboriginal Culture Year 7 into Curriculum – a pilot program designed to evaluate the implementation of a reconfigured curriculum supported by Dr Shayne William’s cultural framework.
• Locally tailored cultural immersion and policy training for educators (PDF file, 981 KB) – strengthening the application of the Aboriginal Education Policy through professional learning: Turning Policy into Action.
• School counselling and telepsychology – blended service consisting of telepsychology and in-person support for students in rural and remote NSW public schools.
• School counselling scholarships – scholarships to boost recruitment into the school counselling service. Rural and remote schools have been prioritised in planning.
  
• School Improvement Plan: interconnection between physical activity and wellbeing – supporting rural and remote schools to unpack the interconnection between physical activity and wellbeing with the development of a unique situational analysis.
  
• Stage 4 Languages Virtual Curriculum pilot – A 12 month pilot trialling the virtual delivery of a Languages subject to Year 7 and 8 students in rural and remote schools.
• Wellbeing Health In-reach Nurse Program – supporting the health and wellbeing needs of vulnerable school students and their families by coordinating appropriate assessments and referrals to health and social services.

Teachers will have access to formalised partnerships to support their work with students to expand vocational and other post-school opportunities.

• Academies of STEM Excellence – located across 10 regional NSW areas. These secondary school hubs work collaboratively with primary schools and are coordinated by local STEM Project Officers.
  
• DART (Distance and Rural Technology) Learning – a service that helps teachers find incredible learning experiences delivered by museums, galleries, research institutes, experts, educational organisations, zoos and more.
• Regional Industry Education Partnership Program – strengthening connections between local industry and secondary schools to support students plan future career pathways.
  
• Rural and Regional Research Project – a research project in rural and regional education where the key outcome is to build a stronger evidence base to inform tailored support to schools and context specific policy decision making.
• Targeted Curriculum Pathway Project – supporting Stage 4 and 5 students who are highly disengaged from learning and are at risk of not meeting the requirements of the Record of School Achievement (RoSA).