Although Norwest is well known for both its pastoral care and its innovative academic program , there is a general community perception that no school does both well , and that parents have to choose between the two .

Norwest believes that no parent should have to make that choice . The spirit and structure of Norwest ’ s Building Purposeful Lives framework has great potential to bridge this divide and integrate academic excellence and pastoral care , aiming for excellence across both spheres .

Academically , excellence looks

different for each student , however , for all students it will be an increased focus on the way in which they learn and how they apply themselves to their studies .

For the 2021 Year 12 cohort , excellence has catapulted Norwest in the NSW school rankings from 203 ( in 2020 ) to 93 , as well as improving their ranking on the Independent schools list from 91 ( in 2020 ) to 44 .

This holistic academic improvement is testament to their Building Purposeful Lives framework and its focus on growing whole young people who focus on their approach to learning , as well as their learning itself .

Maxwell H achieved an impressive array of HSC exam results and an ATAR of 99.2 , representing his commitment , diligence , and a love of learning . Maxwell ’ s results are even more impressive , given that he is two years younger than the majority of the 2021 HSC cohort .

“ With online learning , my keys to success were determination and being as goal-oriented as possible ,” Maxwell said .

With his heart set on a number of engineering courses at UNSW , Maxwell also ensured that he maintained his social networks , exemplifying Norwest ’ s approach to growing the whole student .

When reflecting on the support he received from the college , Maxwell commented on the additional effort

and commitment by college staff , that helped with their year group ’ s success ,

“ They were a great support , putting in extra effort , preparing well and providing different learning approaches . Without being able to see them , feedback was essential and their consistent responses , even to out of hours emails was extremely helpful .”

Pastorally , Norwest ’ s approach to caring for all members of their community is founded on the Biblical principle that all people are created in the image of God . They care through meaningful connections between students and teachers , teaching well , and communicating and maintaining expectations of excellence in relation to

behaviours and attitudes .

With a sense of community that is highly valued by all students , staff , and families , they see the importance of connection , partnership , and collaboration in working together to grow young people who have a strong conviction of who God has created them to be .

Norwest ’ s focus on academic excellence and high-quality pastoral care shows that it is possible to bridge the academic-pastoral divide ; to grow confident , life-long learners who know where to turn in life ’ s unexpected moments , as they become all who they were created to be .

For more information contact office @ nwcc . nsw . edu . au .