Two education projects are in the running for a prestigious NSW Premier’s Award in 2023.

School Infrastructure NSW and the new Googong Public School are finalists in the Driving Public Sector Diversity category, while the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation was nominated for the World Class Education and Training Award for its Assessment for Complex Learners project.

The world-first Assessment for Complex Learners project addresses how conventional learning assessments are often inaccessible for young people, particularly those with disability.

Joanne Marshall, Group Director, Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, said the project provided a suite of tools to help educators know where students with disability are in their learning journey, which aligns with the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions.

“This national and global first will mean every single student in the NSW public school system can now be seen on a single set of literacy and numeracy progressions,” she said.

The tools will be available in NSW public schools in 2024 through a phased release.

The new Googong Public School project has been recognised as a finalist in the Premier’s Awards for its connection with the local Aboriginal community through the design phase.

School Infrastructure NSW worked closely with the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, Aunty Dr Matilda House-Williams, Savills, Pedavoli Architects, North Projects and Hansen Yuncken, to establish meaningful connections with traditional custodians and incorporate their knowledge and practices.

Lachlan MacDonald, Senior Project Director, School Infrastructure NSW, said the culture of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people was acknowledged and celebrated through the design process.

“The successful integration of connections with Country into the Googong Public School exemplifies how early engagement with local knowledge holders can realise genuine benefits for staff and students,” he said.

The new Googong Public School opened at the start of 2023.

The NSW Premier’s Awards celebrate excellence in the delivery of public services to the people of NSW.

The awards also recognise not-for-profit organisations and private businesses that partner with public sector agencies and departments.