Blog
NSW PDHPE and CAFS teachers reflect on sustainability, burnout, systems and energy with practical lessons to support long term teaching success.
This week on The PDHPE & CAFS Podcast, I’m sharing something a little different.
Not strategies.
Not frameworks for students.
But lessons I didn’t expect...
Every year, NSW primary teachers work tirelessly to support their students’ learning, behaviour and wellbeing. But with a new PDHPE syllabus rolling out, many teachers are feeling the pressure to get everything right… and fast.
The truth is, PDHPE has always been more than a subject. It’s a foundat...
This week on The PDHPE and CAFS Podcast, we’re diving into what real transformation looks like in NSW schools and why PDHPE is uniquely placed to lead it. Jamie Gerlach from 4C Transformative Learning joins me to unpack why capability building, teacher agency and deep learning matter more than ever....
Teaching Food Sustainability in PDHPE and CAFS
If you have been in a NSW Primary, PDHPE or CAFS classroom lately you would know that sustainability is becoming an essential part of everyday learning. Many of our students face rising food costs, confusing nutrition messages and growing pressure arou...
How to Strengthen CAFS Responses for Band 5 and 6 Success
Are your CAFS students stuck in Band 3 or 4? You are not alone. This episode unpacks what separates strong Band 5 and 6 responses and how to teach those skills with confidence, drawing on 16 years of HSC marking and mentoring across PDHPE, H...
It’s Term 4, a fresh start for many NSW teachers as they welcome new classes, new syllabuses and new opportunities to make an impact. But while the energy in classrooms is high, the conversations happening behind closed doors tell a different story.
Over the break, teachers have shared how they spe...
Teaching Community and Family Studies (CAFS) is one of the most rewarding parts of our work as Community and Family Studies teachers in NSW. It can also be one of the most overwhelming.
When I first started teaching Community and Family Studies in 2004, I was fresh out of uni and given a syllabus d...
If you’ve ever found yourself marking a CAFS task and wondering “Why aren’t they getting it?” you’re not alone.
You’ve delivered the content. You’ve worked through the syllabus. You’ve even drilled the acronyms. And still… they fall short of the depth, clarity or application required for those top ...
Why Band 5 and 6 Results Are Rare
Achieving a Band Five or Six in Community and Family Studies is not a fluke. It takes deliberate strategies, extensive practice and a deep understanding of the skills required. Many Community and Family Studies teachers have not yet seen consistent results at this le...
After years of teaching, marking and running revision sessions across New South Wales, one truth keeps surfacing: our Community & Family Studies students are still making the same mistakes, year after year. The frustrating part? Many of these errors are fixable with the right scaffolds, strategies a...
Unpacking the New Child Studies Syllabus: What NSW Teachers Need to Know
The brand-new Child Studies syllabus has just been released and for many NSW teachers it feels like another mountain to climb. After years of navigating change across PDHPE, CAFS and Health and Movement Science, the arrival of a...
When syllabus changes hit, it can feel like you’re starting all over again.
And for many NSW teachers tackling the new Health and Movement Science course, that’s exactly what it’s felt like. Rebuilding content knowledge, rethinking programming, rewriting assessments... all on top of an already demand...
