Resources and Facilities

Professional Development Opportunities

One of the strategies in Building Better Relationships with Schools 2008-10 is “Enhancing professional skills - Enhance the skills of GWS school staff through professional development activities and provide opportunities for school and UWS staff to learn from each others’ experience”.

Current opportunities can be accessed through the Education Knowledge Network

2011 Educational Events, Opportunities and Competitions

UWS Schools Engagement has produced a 2011 calendar of state and national activities and competitions.  These focus on many different creative and academic areas that will challenge and help to meet the needs of gifted and talented students.

For more information, see the 2011 Educational Events, Opportunities and Competitions calendar.

Getting Down to Business: A Guide for Beginning Teachers

Teachers from public, Catholic systemic and Independent schools in Greater Western Sydney have partnered with UWS to develop a guidebook for beginning teachers. Sponsored by the NSW Teachers' Credit Union, the guide was distributed free to more than 1000 schools in the Greater Western Sydney region and throughout other NSW regions.

"There are aspects in the book that I would not even have considered until my first day of teaching and now I can be prepared," says Mitchell Watkins, 2009 graduate Master of Teaching (Primary).

“Just got a copy of your Getting Down To Business: A Guide for Beginning Teachers book and am most impressed. In my role of New Scheme Teacher Mentor I work closely with 14 New Scheme Teachers and acknowledge the difficulties of being a NST trying to understand routines, set up and manage a classroom, know who is who in the school, programs, assessment ... the list goes on. This book is fantastic in providing the NST, and indeed teachers with years of experience, with some direction and guidance.” Janene Cook, Assistant Principal, Rosemeadow Public School.

“I have used the book on a number of occasions during induction meetings at both schools. Communicating with parents/guardians and being part of the whole school community (duty of care and staff protection) were in particular very useful and generated lots of discussion.” – Head Teacher Mentor, Mt Annan and Ambarvale High Schools.

To view a copy of the guide see Getting Down to Business: A Guide for Beginning Teachers 

Contact SchoolsEngagement@uws.edu.au to request a hard copy of the guide to be forwarded to your postal address.

Academic and professional speakers in schools

The UWS program "Academic Speakers in Schools" has been running since the beginning of 2009 and has been very successful. The register of Academic Speakers in Schools includes academics from all UWS Schools (faculties) and most Research Centres.  Many are leaders in their fields. 

We have now introduced a parallel program called "Professional Speakers in Schools".  Non-academic staff at UWS who have backgrounds, knowledge and skills that enable them to speak on topics that would be of interest to schools.

The two registers include information on each speaker's areas of expertise, sample topics, suggested audiences and estimated presentation times. The Academic Speakers register is structured by subject area, with some speakers appearing under more than one heading.

The registers will be updated regularly as additional speakers join the program.

For more information, please see the Academic Speakers in Schools Register and Professional Speakers in Schools register. 

To book a speaker, please use the 2012 school booking form. There is no fee involved. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Schools Engagement Unit. We ask that you don't contact the academics directly. This will help us to effectively organise and track use of the register. 

Pictured below is Dr James Arvanitakis, Lecturer - School of Humanities and Languages, dancing with students during a presentation at the Holroyd Parramatta Youth Forum. 

School-related research

UWS is exploring ways to provide wider access to the results of school-related research (subject to confidentiality provisions) and relevant UWS Learning and Teaching projects. Watch this space!

Hire of venues

If you are interested in hiring UWS venues or facilities for your school event, you can contact the Schools Engagement Unit by email on SchoolsEngagement@uws.edu.au or by phone on (02) 9678 7423.

Hire of sporting facilities

Schools can hire uwsconnect sporting facilities on the UWS campuses and gain access to sports programs specifically designed for school groups. Facilities include swimming pools, ovals, an indoor sports hall, athletics track and gym. Schools in Greater Western Sydney are eligible for a discount rate on facilities hire. For more information contact the Connect Fitness Centre (opens in a new window) on the campus closest to you.