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Priority 

2026 CSSA Trial HSC Examinations (Ref: 147/26)

The 2026 CSSA Trial HSC Examinations final Timetable was made available to schools on Monday 28 April (Week 1, Term 2).  

The final Timetable is available on the CSSA webpage of the CS������ website is available here.

The 2026 CSSA Trial HSC Examinations Timetable is scheduled for Monday 3 August to Monday 17 August.

The 2026 CSSA Trial HSC Examinations Security Period is 

• up to, and inclusive of, Wednesday 19 August
• examinations, including examination related materials and student scripts can be returned to students from 8.00am, Thursday 20 August 

Delivery Rounds

• First Round Deliveries

1. Schools that have ordered examinations per cohort (1 exam per student, per subject) and using the 2026 CSSA Trial HSC Examination Timetable 
2. Delivered to schools from Tuesday 21 July to Friday 24 July 2026 (Week 1, Term 3) 
3. Electronic signature is required from the school representative receiving the delivery
4. The Courier Company will electronically record the successful delivery of delivery boxes including location, date and time
5. Ensure secure storage of boxes immediately upon delivery 
6. Contact the CSSA on cssa.exams@csnsw.catholic.edu.au if your delivery has not been received by Friday 24 July, no sooner

• Second Round Deliveries

1. Schools that have purchased a minimum order of examinations (5 exams per subject NOT 1 exam per student, per subject)
2. Orders will be delivered to schools from Monday 7 September to Friday 11 September 2026 (Week 8, Term 3)
3. Electronic signature is required from the school representative receiving the delivery 
4. The Courier Company will electronically record the successful delivery of delivery boxes including location, date and time
5. Contact the CSSA on cssa.exams@csnsw.catholic.edu.au if your delivery has not been received by Friday 11 September, no sooner

CSSA Terms and Conditions

Principals are reminded to ensure the CSSA Terms and Conditions are adhered to by school executive, teachers and other staff members. 

Details in a School Account in the CSSA webpage of the CS������ website

Each school is responsible for updating their school account details in the CSSA webpage of the CS������ website. This information was provided to schools in the 2026 CSSA Trial HSC Examinations Principal Information Package. 

NESA updates – 21 July to 27 July 2026 (Ref: 161/26)

NESA Official Notices

NESA Official Notices can be accessed 

NESA Timetable of action for secondary schools

Timetable of action for secondary schools can be accessed 

NAPLAN Student Reports

Printed copies of NAPLAN student reports have been sent to schools for distribution to parents and carers.

If your school has not yet received the reports, please email the NAPLAN team.

Digital copies of student reports are available to download from .

Click to read more about .

HSC Study Guide is out now!

The  is online.

Students can find:

• tips from HSC markers, teachers and recent graduates for different HSC exams
• the common misconceptions about the HSC and ATAR explained
• strategies to manage and reduce exam stress
• a multiple-choice quiz to test their knowledge with family and friends
• advice from some well-known faces like Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston, Youth Olympic gold medalist Josie Baff, host of Grand Designs Australia Anthony Burke and 2026 Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg.

There’s also practical mental health and wellbeing advice from the experts at  – with tailored tips for parents and carers on supporting their children in the lead up to exams.

New HSC lockdown browser is now available

The latest version of NESA’s lockdown browser is available for:

• HSC Minimum Standard tests
• HSC Online Exams (for both 2026 sample and actual exams)
• HSC Exam Writer.

More information can be found in our email sent to principals on Monday 29 June.

Access the updated download files and installation guide on  > Memos and Documents.

Please note: student-owned and unmanaged devices need manual installation by schools.

Get ready to teach mandatory HSIE in 2027

Three new mandatory HSIE syllabuses will be implemented in schools in 2027:

These syllabuses replace the current Geography K–10 (2015) and History K–10 (2012) syllabuses which will not be available after December 2028.

Resources are available to support teachers with implementation, including:

HSIE K–6:

• – to help students locate places, examine cultural works and identify and describe objects, designs, sites and structures that endure today.
• – to enrich and build teachers’ understanding of Cultural Knowledges associated with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content points in the syllabus.

History 7–10:

• – to support development of site studies and case studies that enhance students’ historical inquiry and understanding.

Geography 7–10:

School Registration Insights

The third edition of School Registration Insights is out now and provides guidance and clarity for schools regarding a number of your queries.

Click here  

Download the Young Writers 25 anthology

The Young Writers 25 anthology is now available, featuring the incredible HSC English Extension 2 major works selected for this year’s Young Writers Showcase.

to read all 18 outstanding major works and discover the unique voices and stories of 2025 HSC students. 

Click to find out  

Official Notices

By subscribing to the NESA News you will receive the latest updates and information as soon as it becomes available.

Subscribe to the NESA News 

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Professional Learning

Missed our livestream? Register to access all sessions from the 2026 K–12 Curriculum Reform Conference, Learning with Grace: Expert practice at the heart (Ref: 148/26)

Register today and you will have 6 months exclusive access to all 2026 conference recordings, presentations and resources. These are presented in an engaging and interactive format. We find the research and resources presenters reference, we locate any media articles, embed videos and websites – making it easy for you to collaborate with your colleagues and have important professional learning conversations. 

A reminder of just some of the great speakers that presented and are available for your viewing for a limited time:

• Most Rev. Bishop Mark Edwards.
• Dylan Wiliam, Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment at University College London.
• Professor Miriam Tanti, Associate Dean at La Trobe University, a leader in teacher education and AI in schools. 
• Professor Rebecca Winthrop, Co-Director of the Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution and adjunct professor at Georgetown University, USA.  
• Alex Dore, founder of .
• Sharon Cooke, Senior Manager, Aboriginal Education CS������.
• Jenni Wenzel, CEO, Aboriginal Education NESA.
• Clarrie Hoskins, Manager, Aboriginal Education, NESA. 
• Nathan Smith, Senior Manager Wellbeing & CVE, CS������
• Mary-Clare Turnbull, Senior Manager, Vocational Education and Training (VET)
• Dr Paul Chaill, Executive Director, Curriculum, NESA

Explore the full programme:

Please note NESA presentation and Communities of Practice are not available as recordings.

Conference Details:

Date: At your convenience from Thursday 23 July 

Format: Online and on demand  

Audience: Teachers, school leaders and system leaders

For further details and to secure your on-demand ticket, click here.

 

Understanding NAPLAN Proficiency Level Descriptions (Ref: 160/26)

At the start of Term 3, NAPLAN individual student reports (ISR) were released to schools. These ISRs show how each student who undertook NAPLAN in March this year performed across the five domains that include:

• reading,
• writing,
• grammar/punctuation,
• spelling and
• numeracy.

CS������ have created two professional learning courses aimed at teachers to support their understanding of the NAPLAN proficiency levels that these results are reported against. 

Please click the links below to enrol in these free and self-paced online courses. 

 

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School Updates & Newsletters

Council of Catholic School Parents 2026 Conferences for Parents (Ref: 162/26)

Supporting Families: Working Together in a Modern World

CCSP is hosting not one but two conferences for parents! The first is in collaboration with Sydney Catholic Schools and will be held at Rydges World Square Hotel on 22 August. The second conference will be at Twin Towns Service Club in Tweed Heads on 24 October, supported by Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools. Find out more on the , and keep an eye on their social media channels.

Sydney conference tickets are now on sale!

Date: Saturday 22 August 2026

Time: 9:00am – 3:30pm

Venue: Rydges World Square Hotel 389 Pitt Street Sydney

The day will kick off with a presentation by Danielle Cronin, Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, with a discussion about how families and schools can partner successfully. Other expert speakers include Daniel Principe and Genevieve Muir, talking about topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersafety, dealing with kids’ anxiety, managing big feelings and building character in kids.

It’s going to be a great day of relaxing and eating with other parents, listening and learning, connection and empowerment – all for only $30 per ticket.

Book your tickets here:

 

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Legal and Policy

Proposed Modern Slavery Reforms: Criminal Liability and New Compliance Expectations (Ref: 159/26)

The Federal Government has announced significant proposed reforms to Australia's modern slavery regime which, if enacted, will increase compliance obligations and introduce new enforcement mechanisms for entities covered by the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth).

A key proposal is the introduction of a 'failure to prevent' modern slavery offence. Entities could face criminal liability where modern slavery occurs within their operations, subsidiaries or supply chains and reasonable preventative measures have not been taken.

Importantly, the proposed reforms include a defence where an organisation can demonstrate it took 'reasonable steps' to prevent modern slavery. This places increased emphasis on proactive risk identification, due diligence, supplier engagement, governance oversight, staff awareness and ongoing monitoring of supply chain risks.

Further information is available on the Attorney-General's Department website:

 

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Scholarships and Awards 

Congratulations to the ������ Catholic school students and teachers who were finalists at the State Training Awards 2026 (Ref: 146/26)

Congratulations to the ������ Catholic school students and teachers who won awards at the State Training Awards 2026!

Catholic school Students from ������ have again demonstrated their advantages of studying VET courses, winning Student of the Year awards in both VET Schools Student (VETSS) and School-Based Apprentice or Trainee (SBAT) categories at last week’s Regional Training Awards. A number of Catholic school teachers from ������ have also demonstrated excellence, winning VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year Awards. To find out more, . 

VET Schools Student of the Year Category

Isaac Nassif Southern Cross Catholic College, Burwood Certificate III in Business Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation Sydney Catholic Schools Representing South & Southwestern Sydney Region

Annabelle Paull            Certificate III in Business      Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Education Ltd  Carroll College, Broulee Representing Region

Georgia El-Khoury Catherine McAuley Westmead  Certificate III in Business            Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Representing Western Sydney & Blue Mountains Region

VET Schools Student of the Year Jacob Merrick Certificate II in Agriculture St Catherine's Catholic College, Singleton CSMN (Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Maitland Newcastle) Representing Hunter & Central Coast Region

School Based Apprentice or Trainee Category

Lara Duffy Certificate III in Health Services Assistance St Aloysius College, Cronulla Karenna Private Hospital RTO: TAFE ������ Representing South & Southwestern Sydney Region

Ava Schofield Certificate III in Retail McDonald's Australia Ltd RTO: McDonald's Xavier College Llandro Representing Western Sydney & Blue Mountains  Region

VET Trainer/Teacher of the Year Category

James Kotselas Baking Southern Cross Catholic College, Burwood Sydney Catholic Schools RepresentingSouth & Southwestern Sydney Region

Charles James Cookery Newman Senior Technical College Port Macquarie Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Representing North Coast & Mid North Coast Region

Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year Category

Matilda Thearle Certificate III in Health Services Assistance St Aloysius College, Cronulla Balmain Hospital ������ Health Representing Central & Northern Sydney Region