Educating the Whole Person

A Jesuit Education aims to educate people of competence, conscience and compassion, who will be doers of justice and carers of others.

It seeks to be world affirming—to reveal a world ‘charged with the grandeur of God’. 

It encourages study of all reality, promoting the search for God in all things while respecting the infinite variety of ways in which God is revealed to an individual. It aims to produce wisdom and a deep sense of reverence rather than marketability or a narrow orientation towards a specific career. 

It emphasises the fundamental importance of generosity in the service of others — following the model of Jesus Christ in becoming ‘men for others’.

The continual interplay of experience, reflection and action in the teaching/learning process lies at the heart of Ignatian teaching practice. All aspects of College life impart the Ignatian message. Fundamental to this is cura personalis—care for the whole person—respect for the individual’s identity, and balance and flexibility in dealing with the individual’s gifts, needs and educative readiness. 

The Characteristics of Jesuit Education

• Seeks to demonstrate mastery of basic humanistic and scientific disciplines through careful and sustained study; and also a growing ability to reason reflectively, logically and critically
• Emphasises traditional humanistic studies (eg language, literature and history) essential for an understanding of the human person
• Includes careful and critical study of technology and the physical and social sciences
• Gives particular care to the development of the imaginative and creative dimensions of each student
• Includes opportunities, through curricular and co-curricular pursuits, for all students to come to an appreciation of literature, aesthetics, music and the fine arts
• Emphasises the ability to work collaboratively with others as part of a team
• Develops traditional skills in speaking and writing in the belief that the development of effective communication skills will always remain important for leaders
• Includes programs which enable students to understand and critically evaluate the influence of mass media
• Includes a well developed program of sports and physical education

Within a Jesuit College the curriculum is the road map to implement the mission of creating young people who are going to make a difference in this world by their generosity, service and justice. 

At Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview, we aim to provide excellence in teaching and learning through a challenging and inclusive curriculum. We encourage our students to embrace scholarship as a response to God’s gift of intellect. We teach them to respond authentically to a culture of critical thought, reflection and independent work. 

We place emphasis on celebrating difference and diversity and see this as a core component in our approach to teaching and learning. We support a collaborative approach to learning and curriculum design, working closely with external professionals to support the needs of all students. 

Regis Campus—Years 5 and 6

Named after the French Jesuit Saint John Regis, whose ministry in the 1600s included teaching, care of the sick and destitute, and defending the Faith through his preaching, boys in Years 5 and 6 enjoy a range of facilities including a Chapel, Library, Computer Labratory, Educational Support Office, Canteen and Regis Hall. Sports facilities include outside basketball courts and two ovals. The Years 7 and 8 Boarding house is also located on this campus.

Students on Regis Campus travel to the Senior School for masses and assemblies, to use the Gartlan Sports Centre and for occasional classes and performances. 

The Role of the Homeroom Teacher

The Homeroom teacher is a caring presence in the life of your son here at the Regis Campus. They are in a wonderful position to track your son’s Spiritual, Academic, Social and Pastoral development. In most cases they teach the following subjects:

• Religious Education
• English
• Mathematics
• HSIE
• Science and Technology

Homework

Students in Years 5 and 6 are expected to do up to one hour of homework per night, including 15 minutes of musical instrument practice and 15 minutes of reading. Homework is a regular study pattern–the time may include set homework, revision and extension of class work. Only assignment work will be given as weekend homework. 

Assessment and Reporting

There are many means by which students at the Regis Campus are assessed on their progress throughout the academic year, ranging from informal teacher observations to class assessment tasks.

ASSESSMENT

• Teacher observations
• Standard of bookwork and homework
• Unit revision papers and examinations
• Class and grade assessment tasks and assignments

REPORTING

• Term 1–Interim Report
• Semester One–Formal Report  
• Semester Two–Formal Report
• NAPLAN (Year 5)
  ACER Testing (Year 6)
• Additional testing is sometimes administered to support the development of a comprehensive learning profile of each student. This testing can be used to form learning support, enrichment and extension programs for students where appropriate.

Senior School—Years 7 to 12

The Senior Campus accommodates more than 1300 students across Years 7–12.

All students at the College are expected to meet the requirements of the Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (BOSTES) in regard to the curriculum and the Higher School Certificate, as well as to respond to formation flowing from the Jesuit tradition. This tradition expects, for instance, that those young men who demonstrate interest or talent in certain subjects will follow those subjects at an appropriately challenging level. 

Students who show talent and aptitude in response to the challenge of particular subjects can expect to continue studying those subjects through their school career. Occasionally, such study may have to be conducted with some flexibility—for example, with classes outside the school timetable. Other students may have the option of taking an advanced course at university level.

In line with flexible progression initiatives, the College provides a Pathways program which offers students the opportunity to complete HSC courses (Year 12 classes) over two years and a number of enrichment and acceleration programs.

Curriculum Structure Years 9 & 10

Core studies are in English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education, History, Geography, PDHPE. In Year 9, students supplement their core educational program with a choice of three electives. Year 10 students continue with two electives. Electives are chosen from the following learning areas:

• HSIE: Commerce, Global Studies and Environment
• Languages: Latin, Greek, Chinese, French and Italian
• PDHPE: Physical Activity and Sports Studies
• Technological and Applied Studies: Industrial Technology, Information and Software Technology, Agriculture Technology
• Creative and Performing Arts: Music, Drama, Visual Arts, Photographic and Digital Media Studies

Curriculum Structure Years 11 & 12

Subjects offered in Years 11 and 12 reflect the BOSTES requirements for satisfactory completion of the Year 11 (Preliminary) and Year 12 (HSC) courses. At the completion of Year 10, boys are given advice by their class teachers, Heads of House, Heads of Faculties, Dean of Studies, Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning and Careers Adviser to assist them in an appropriate choice of subjects for study in Years 11 and 12.

YEAR 11 (PRELIMINARY)

All students in Year 11 must choose at least 13 units of study across at least four separate subjects. At least one of these units must be in Studies of Religion. 
BOSTES requires at least two units be in English and at least three courses must be of 2 unit value or greater. The following subjects are offered:

• Religious Education: Studies of Religion 1 Unit, Studies of Religion 2 Unit
• English: English Standard, English Advanced, English Extension 1
• Mathematics: Mathematics General, Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 1
• Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Senior Science
• Ancient History, Modern History, Aboriginal Studies
• Geography, Economics, Business Studies
• French, Chinese, Latin, Greek, Italian
• Industrial Technology, Information Processing and Technology, Agriculture, Engineering Studies, Primary Industries
• Music: Music Course 1 and Course 2, Extension Music
• Visual Arts
• Personal Development, Health and Physical Education and Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies
• Drama
• Vocational Education Courses studied at local TAFEs

Year 12 / HSC Study

HSC study requires all students to choose at least 11 units of study for Year 12 with at least one unit of study in Religious Education and at least two units in English. At least three courses must be of 2 unit value or greater and students are expected to continue in a broad pattern of study. More extension courses are introduced for study in the HSC year:

• History Extension
• Music Extension
• Mathematics Extension 2
• English Extension 2
• Languages Extension

Reporting

We send home three academic reports: An interim report is sent at the end of Term 1 and is a brief assessment of a student’s application in four areas: attitude to learning, contribution to learning, completion of tasks and classroom behaviour. The more comprehensive Semester 1 Report (Term 2) and Semester 2 Report (Term 4) include the following:

• Student profile
• Learning outcomes
• Overall achievement
• Assessment schedule
• Course mark
• Course average
• Position in course
• A teacher comment

ReView is the Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview After School Study Program for Day Boys in Years 7 to 12. 

Participating students remain at the College and take part in supervised study, revision and review groups from 3:30pm until 7:30pm conducted by College staff as well as ex-students and external tutors. Students are provided with afternoon tea at 3:30pm and dinner at 7:00pm. Study groups are often tailored to suit the needs of each of the participating students and these are aligned with the skills and qualifications of the tutors and teachers. 

The After-School Study Program operates Monday to Thursday each week of each term, except the final week.

Please refer to the Regis ReView booklet for the Regis Extended School Tuition Program operating hours and further details.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is a powerful tool for learning and at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview we focus on using ICT tools embedded in best practice of teaching and learning to meet present and future learning needs for all students. 

We utilise technology in an innovative and creative manner so that the learning outcome for students are presented with depth and quality. All students at the College are issued with a laptop upon their enrollment. We use a combination of digital and traditional textbooks and integrate many internet or cloud-based services into the daily student experience. Each faculty in the College has allocation for an IT Integrator who works with the Head of Faculty to ensure consistency in technology use and learning experiences for all classes and stages.

All students have access to our online Learning Management System, Canvas, which hosts all our digital learning resources and programs, and can be accessed both on campus and at home. Assignments can be completed directly into Canvas, and automatically graded.

As Jesuit Education is concerned with the development of the whole person, sport and other co-curricular activities are seen as key aspects. Participation in the Co-Curriculum program is compulsory and forms a central element of the education process.

Throughout each student’s time at Riverview, a Head of House keeps a record of his sport, co-curricular and community service participation. This provides the basis for regular interviews, references and initiatives to assist the formational development of each boy at the College.

Sports

Our games are played against other teams to promote the development of good relations amongst all schools and especially amongst the boys more directly. The fellowship that is characteristic of the boys and staff is testimony to the integral part that Co-Curriculum plays in the life of the College and reinforces the education of the whole person. 

Students from Years 5 to 12 are able to choose from a wide variety of summer and winter sports. Each student, until the end of Year 11, is required to participate in two sporting activities each year. In Year 12 each student is to participate in at least one sporting activity.

Some sports and activities have restricted numbers and are available for senior students only. Involvement in any area and approval to continue other participation outside the College should be discussed with the Head of Co-Curriculum.

Fitness and skill trainings are held every week. Coaches come from a variety of backgrounds including older students, parents, teachers, ex-students and are all specialists in their field.

Summer sports (Terms 1 & 4)

• Summer Athletics
• Basketball
• Cricket
• Fencing
• Golf
• Martial Arts / Tae Kwon Do
• Mountain Bike Cycling
• Rowing
• Sailing
• Swimming
• Surf Life Saving
• Tennis
• Water Polo

Winter sports (Terms 2 & 3)

• AFL
• GPS Track and Field (end Term 3 only)
• Cross Country
• Football
• Fencing
• Martial Arts / Tae Kwon Do
• Rugby
• Snowsports
• Tennis
• Volleyball

Music

Music has been a vibrant and important part of life at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview since 1882, when it was added to the curriculum.  It offers students a holistic education that strives for excellence in all things. Today, Music continues to flourish in The Woods Music Centre, aptly named for the 100 pine trees that were planted on this site in 1905.

The Woods Music Centre is the venue for Music Education on the Senior Campus.  Here, academic Music classes are held for Year 7 – 12 students, as well as Music and Drama Private Tuition.  In addition, the venue provides studios for students to practise on their instruments. Co-Curricular Music Ensemble rehearsals and performances are also held in the Woods Music Centre.  It is open Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm, under supervision.

The importance of the arts in education, and particularly a music rich education, is irrefutable. The study of music and playing an instrument helps in the development of language and maths skills, improves memory, attention and concentration, and increases motivation to learn. The lives of all students are enriched by music.

Music is an integral part of the curriculum for students in Year 5 and Year 6 at the Regis Campus. Year 5 and 6 students are introduced to music through academic Music classes and through our mandatory Music Activities Program. (see below for more details on this program).

In Year 7 and Year 8, Music continues as a classroom subject with students learning percussion, keyboard and guitar in Stage 4.  In Year 9 to Year 12 students can choose Music as an elective subject and explore their proficiency on their chosen instrument.

Co-Curricular Music

Our Co-curricular Music Program is inclusive and available to every student. The program includes Music and Drama Private Tuition, Co-Curricular Music Ensembles, Musicals, Music Tours and Concerts. Being involved in Music offers students numerous opportunities to more fully participate in College life, creating a sense of community and belonging.

Concerts and Performance Opportunities

Many music concerts are held annually throughout the College to showcase student accomplishment and the achievements of the various ensembles. These events include Riverview in Concert, the Riverview Music Gala Evening and the Music Private Tuition Performance Recitals. In addition, students perform at many internal and external events, attend regular excursions and participate in workshops.

Musicals

Every year the College produces a major school musical. This alternates between a Senior School musical involving students in Years 9 to 12, and a Junior School musical involving Years 5 to 8.

Regis Music Activities Program (Year 5 and Year 6)

As part of their Music experience, Years 5 and 6 students are involved in the mandatory Music Activities Program and each student learns an instrument.  These classes occur in timetabled classes during the school day in groups. Year 5 students learn a string instrument (violin, viola, cello, double bass). Students in Year 6 can continue with their string instrument or choose to learn a woodwind (flute, clarinet) or brass instrument (trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium).   In both Year 5 and Year 6, there is an Advanced Music Activities group for those students who are more accomplished and have been playing for several years.

Music and Drama Private Tuition Program

The Music and Drama Private Tuition Program is available to all students. It gives students the opportunity to have private lessons on a musical instrument and/or drama. The College offers private tuition on a wide variety of musical instruments and all lessons are conducted by professionals in their field.

Co-Curricular Music Ensembles

There are numerous Music Ensembles at the College catering for all musical levels and offering a diverse range of styles and learning experiences.  Being a member of an ensemble gives students the opportunity to be part of a music team which rehearses once a week, before or after school.

Music Tours

Music tours are offered to motivate and inspire our students. The most recent tour was to New York and Los Angeles, where students were immersed in the world of Music Theatre and Live Music experiences.

Drama

Many skills are developed through the Co-curricular Drama program: creativity, problem-solving, accountability, collaboration, perseverance, and focus, to name a few. The boys develop confidence in their own performance skills as well as their ability to work with a range of others. 

PRODUCTIONS

There are six productions annually, with one for each year group from Years 7–12.

TECHNICAL GROUP ‘VIEW CREW‘

Students interested in being behind the stage rather than on it, the Tech Group ‘View Crew’ gives boys in Years 7–12 an opportunity to learn different aspects of technical theatre production. A few skills learnt are lighting design, programming and operation, audio operation, designing soundscapes and effects, working with digital media playback, stage crew and management including props and sets.

THEATRESPORTS

Theatresports is a team-based event where teams engage in ‘games’ where they create a scene out of a theme or idea, provided a few seconds prior to beginning.

Riverview has one of the strongest Theatresports programs in Sydney, with a focus on participating in the regional competition run by Improv Australia each year for Junior, Intermediate and Senior competitions.

Debating & Public Speaking

Debating

Riverview has an excellent reputation in Debating, a tradition that has been a significant aspect of College life for more than 130 years. Students participate in the GPS, CSDA, ISDA, SDN and Rotary Competitions. In addition Riverview competes in an annual Jesuit Debating Carnival.

Public Speaking

A six week Public Speaking course for beginners runs on the Regis Campus each term, focusing on boys in Years 5 and 6 who just need that personal start towards feeling more comfortable talking in front of others. 

Students in the Senior School participate in the CSDA’s Public Speaking Competition, which draws hundreds of speakers from more than 60 schools annually, as well as in the Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition, established in 1935 as a competition in impromptu speaking for all GPS and CAS schools. 

Clubs & Activities

The College offers a wide range of clubs and activities to stimulate our students including:

• Agriculture
• Archives Club
• Chess Club
• Duke of Edinburgh Program
• Environment Committee
• Media Group & Tech Club (Regis)
• Photography Club
• Teilhard Science Club (Year 7) 

At Riverview, we aim to promote and support the values and principles of inclusive education. In doing so we place emphasis on celebrating difference and diversity and see this as a core component in our approach to teaching and learning in the faculty.

The goal of the Centre for Learning Enrichment is to create a learning environment in which students with a wide range of learning challenges can progress at their own rate, experience success, reach their potential and feel a real sense of belonging in our school community.

Our team supports a collaborative approach to learning and curriculum design, working closely with external professionals to support the needs of all students.

Programs and Support

Curriculum Support

We understand that any classroom has a range of abilities and within this range there are students who require differentiated curriculum. The Curriculum Support team provides support for teachers to assist them to adequately support students with special needs in the classroom. This process carefully considers the voice of the student in the learning cycle and encourages creative curriculum design to support the diverse needs of the student population.

Assistance to staff commences with the pre-enrolment assessment of new students so that all the appropriate information in regard to students’ learning needs is available to the appropriate Director and teaching staff. In this way the school ensures an effective transition is undertaken with students with specific learning needs.

The Learning Enrichment team prepares submissions for funding to support the inclusion of student with disabilities in the regular classroom. It is also their duty that the submissions are effectively prepared and monitored.

In the differentiated curriculum the team provides encouragement and assistance to staff in designing programs of enrichment and acceleration for those students identified as gifted.

English Language Support

The support and guidance provided for students from non-English speaking backgrounds is a vital component of the College’s Centre for Learning Enrichment. This is not an ESL program, as the college expects overseas students to have reached a basic level of English.

The students spend one hour each week with a specialist teacher on a one-to-one basis and these lessons are built into their school timetable. The purpose of these classes is to help students improve their written and oral skills, understand set texts and interpret class assignments and assessment tasks. Also, they receive guidance in prioritising their workload and managing their time more effectively.

Specialist Staff

Learning Enrichment staff are strategically placed to assist each Year level.  

A variety of additional specialist services, such as occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists and access to literacy and numeracy centres, may also be accessed through the Centre. In addition, we maintain valuable links with the Royal Institute for the Deaf and Blind, and with a number of university faculties.

Referral

Students may be referred to the Centre by their parents or teachers, or where school-based or independent testing indicates a need for targeted support. As prospective parents you are welcome to discuss your son’s needs with the Head of Centre, or any of the specialist teachers, prior to enrolment or at any time after commencement at Riverview.

Special Education Inclusion Program (SEIP)

The SEIP (Special Education Inclusion Program) commenced in 2007 as a response to a need from the Riverview and wider community to accommodate students with Intellectual Disabilities. The SEIP Program is dynamic and is based on the needs of the individual student. It offers mainstream integration opportunities with an emphasis on pastoral care in Mentor groups.

The students follow the BOSTES Life Skills course from Year 7 to Year 12.

The Senior Transition Program, the final stage of the program, is of central importance for students in Years 11 and 12. The Transition aims to include work experience, travel skills, independent living skills and the use of appropriate social skills which lead to optimal post school options.

The Careers program provides numerous resources to encourage and assist students with planning for their career. A key focus of the program is providing learning experiences that enable the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes to help students make informed decisions about school and post-school options.

Anchoring the program in the community, the Careers Counsellor informs and liaises with parents, employers and other clients, including using community-based contacts, locations and activities as partners to ensure that information is always up to date and students are provided with information relevant to their needs.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The careers calendar offers a full and ever-expanding schedule of events.

The Riverview Careers Expo each May is a major event where over 90 exhibitors from universities, private colleges, the services, employment providers and gap organisations, visit the college to provide information related to opportunities for students following their HSC. 

Throughout the year a series of lunchtime seminars, presented by employers and tertiary institutions, is conducted to provide interested students with in-depth information regarding various careers, tertiary institutions or specific employers.

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

A comprehensive range of vocational guidance services is available from the Careers Office, with an overview of almost 600 different jobs plus computerised detail of almost 13,000 different tertiary courses available in Australia. Help in vocational guidance advice and testing is provided via Career Voyager, a computer-based program. This can be used to help with subject choice as well as structuring career or tertiary choices to maximise future job flexibility and alternatives.

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING

Individual counselling including interviewing and counselling students, and parents, as well as negotiating with students is also available via the Careers office.

CAREERS RESOURCE ROOM

The Careers Resource Room provides information on a wide range of careers including job descriptions, prospects for advancement, training/qualifications required, pathways of entry, vocational testing regarding career aptitudes and interests, details of tertiary educational courses offered nationally via university, TAFE and private institutions, entry requirements and subject pre-requisites. Also available is information about financial assistance to students (including Austudy and Abstudy), scholarships and cadetships (including how to research the market) and details of university and college open days. Assistance is given in preparing resumes, job applications and scholarship applications, career choice as well as in instruction regarding interview techniques.

TERTIARY APPLICATIONS AND PROCEDURES

Assistance is also given with regard to interstate university applications and the Universities’ Admissions Centre (UAC) procedure along with preparation of resumés and CVs and refining and improving interview techniques.

• 2023 HSC Academic Results
• 2022 HSC Academic Results
• 2021 HSC Academic Results
• 2020 HSC Academic Results
• 2019 HSC Academic Results
• 2018 HSC Academic Results
• 2017 HSC Academic Results
• 2016 HSC Academic Results
• 2015 HSC Academic Results

The Year 9 Challenge is a three-week program that has been designed to expose boys to a diverse range of activities and experiences including a bush and city experience. 

We believe the program helps to promote and shape independent, self-disciplined and motivated Ignatians. Through experiencing opportunities for problem solving, personal challenges and genuine interactions and relationships with adults, the students develop in their personal maturity and embody the ideals of the Ignatian graduate. 

The Year 9 Challenge has four main goals:

• To promote a love of learning and recognition that knowledge and skills and a connection and unity
• To promote self-confidence and the ability to communicate ideas
• The development of teamwork skills especially in learning situations
• To encourage the competent use of technology

BUSH EXPERIENCE

Bush Week is an outdoor education wilderness program for students. Based around the Glenworth Valley region, the wilderness expedition utilises multiple modes of transport including canoes, hiking, and mountain bikes. Students stay in the tents provided each night and cooking on small camp stoves. 

CITY EXPERIENCE

During the City Experience, boys will have an opportunity to be engaged in a range of cross-curricular activities largely based in and around Sydney.  As well as allowing the boys to experience their city in this practical way, they will also learn to navigate the city and surrounds by making their own way to activities on public transport.

HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE

The College also works with TAFE, Ryde Campus, to provide students with a  Hospitality Experience where students learn the skills required in order to prepare mocktails, barista training, and serve a meal to customers.