UPDATE

We will share all project updates shared with our school and parish communities on this page.

NEWS

Education in the eastern suburbs is about to change with the reimagining of three Catholic schools into state-of-the-art, innovative centres for contemporary learning.

ANNOUNCEMENT

On 4 May 2022, Tony Farley Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, school principal Rosemary Andre, Dr Jacqueline Frost Chief of Staff, and Dr Edmond Maher Director of System Performance, announced the new primary school name and timeframe to staff and parents.

The new primary school will be called Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and will be operational from the commencement of 2023.

This news was shared with the school communities through an all staff briefing, and an evening information session for parents. The evening information session was held at St Agnes’ Catholic Primary School Hall and live streamed via the primary school websites. Thank you to all parents and staff who joined us.

Feedback and questions have been received from those attending in person as well as through an online survey. We are currently reviewing this feedback and will share highlights and further information in due course.

WEBINAR

On 12 November 2020, Tony Farley, Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools and the principals from Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Primary School Pagewood, St Agnes’ Catholic Primary School Matraville, and Champagnat Catholic College Pagewood launched the exciting news of the Pagewood-Matraville Master Plan to the community.

Thank you to those who attended and actively participated in the session by submitting questions. Read the responses to every question submitted during the webinar.

243 attendees joined us for this webinar. 60% of attendees identified as parents, 10% were staff from the three schools, and parishioners from St Agnes and Our Lady of the Annunciation parishes constituted 3% of attendees. The balance was staff from other SCS schools or from head office. Attendees’ key interests elicited from the polls, exit survey and webinar were in the areas of learning approaches, curricula and co-curricular opportunities and the management of change/transitions for students and staff. Overall, most attendees at the webinar were excited about the master plan and what it represents for our schools and community.

We will share project updates for our neighbours on this page.

Sydney Catholic Schools, with support from the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, has developed a master plan for Pagewood and Matraville to address the growing needs of the community. A master plan is needed to develop the long-term vision for the network to deliver high-quality facilities that will best support our student’s current and future educational needs.

The master plan for the Pagewood-Matraville area will include the creation of modern, contemporary learning experiences for our students through innovative classroom spaces, beautiful outdoor areas and community spaces which can support both the school and parish communities.

Sydney Catholic Schools, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, school principals and parish priests have been collaborating to develop the master plan.

Architectural services are being provided by QOH Architects and project management services are being provided by John Staff.

We will be seeking community feedback on the master plan from parents, staff and parishioners throughout the project.

Demographic and population forecasts indicate we need to increase our capacity to meet the demand for quality Catholic education at all ages. There is also a high demand in the local area for secondary coeducation, with no systemic Catholic option currently provided.

We have an opportunity to renew our sites to deliver contemporary learning spaces and facilities, including beautiful outdoor spaces, for use by both the schools and parish that will last long into the future. We will be enabled to offer increased curriculum opportunities at both the primary school and secondary college.

The renewal and improved use and sharing of spaces will help to foster better connections between the parishes, schools and community.

The new amalgamated primary school in Matraville will be a two-stream school by January 2024, with a total of 420 students.

The Early Learning Centre at the Matraville site will have capacity for 60 children.

Once the construction program is complete, Champagnat Catholic College will be a coeducational a six-stream secondary school with capacity for 1080 students.

The primary schools and their leadership, supported by Sydney Catholic Schools, will take a collaborative approach to the amalgamation. The schools have a shared history and charism through the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart which will form a foundation for the new school.

In the coming years, there will be opportunities for staff, students and parents to participate in a range of activities to bring together our school communities, and we will keep you informed of these as we progress. We encourage you to join us in our future activities.

A place is assured at the new primary school for every child enrolled at either Our Lady of the Annunciation or St Agnes Catholic Primary schools that will be of primary school age when the amalgamation takes place.

Champagnat Catholic College will accept its first cohort of girls and boys in 2023 and enrolments will be open for this intake from March 2021.

An Early Learning Centre will enable Sydney Catholic Schools and the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney to provide a Catholic educational and pastoral network for families with children of all stages and ages, and meet a growing need for high-quality preschool education and care. The Early Learning Centre will operate in close partnership with the local Catholic school and parish community.

Our project website will be updated as the program progresses over the coming years and it is the best source of accurate information about the Pagewood and Matraville Master Plan.

You can also register your interest in the project on our website to receive electronic updates.

A dedicated project team is also available to answer your questions, and you can contact us:

  • via email at pmmenquiries@syd.catholic.edu.au
  • or by mail at Pagewood and Matraville Master Plan, Sydney Catholic Schools, PO Box 20277, World Square NSW 2002.

Schools and parishes will provide important updates and notifications through their regular channels of communication.

Throughout the program there will be a range of opportunities and activities to be involved in the planning and transition for our community. We welcome you to join us on this journey.

These may include:

  • Collaborative planning between staff at both primary schools
  • Detailed orientation and amalgamation processes
  • Activities to integrate and welcome the two student populations in advance of the amalgamation
  • Opportunities for parents to participate in transition planning and activities.

We will provide further information on our website about how to participate as the need arises. Please join us for any opportunity or activity that is of interest.

The Botany Randwick network will provide both single sex and co-educational secondary school options. When the master plan is delivered, primary schools in the network will be able to choose from both single sex and co-educational secondary schools. As is the case now, a pathway is not a guarantee of an enrolment place, however the intention is to provide a choice for parents based on the needs of their children and varied educational opportunities.

Girls will be enrolled in the Year 7 cohort from 2023, and in each subsequent Year 7 cohort. There will not be co-educational cohorts in higher years.

This will ensure that boys who started at Champagnat prior to 2023 still experience the single-sex learning culture they originally enrolled for. The first co-educational graduating class for Champagnat will be in 2028.

The transition from single sex to co-educational offerings requires changed physical facilities, assessment of curriculum and co-curricular opportunities to provide for both boys and girls. It also requires professional development for staff on diverse and inclusive teaching practices. Holistically, this will ultimately provide a comprehensive offering to suit all students.

Sydney Catholic Schools will leverage previous experience from schools which have successfully transitioned from single sex to co-education, such as Marist Catholic College North Shore and Marist Catholic College Penshurst.

The construction program has been developed to make sure the right facilities are ready and available at the right time to support major milestones, such the first intake of female students at Champagnat Catholic College and the amalgamation of the primary schools.

The project team, including the school principals, will work hard to mitigate disruptions for students, staff and parishioners. We have tried to ensure that noisy or disruptive works have been scheduled for school holiday periods.

Maintaining a quality experience for all our students and our community throughout the building program is important. Where possible, renewal benefits will be leveraged for different cohorts as quickly as possible.

Sydney Catholic Schools will be providing a one-off $300 uniform voucher per child for parents of continuing students to alleviate cost implication associated with the change to the new uniforms. Uniforms for Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School will be available to order in late 2022.

If you require additional uniforms in 2022 for St Agnes’ or Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Primary Schools there are a range of quality second hand uniforms available. Please contact the school reception for more information on how to purchase these.

The large, outdoor grassed play area will be available for students to enjoy from 2023. This will provide suitable space for the projected number of students to play. In time, the COLA space will also be completed and available for students to enjoy.
Events are being planned for later in 2022 for the OLA community to farewell their school grounds, commemorate both primary schools and celebrate their heritage and culture. There will also be a range of mementoes and cultural artefacts that will be kept and installed on a museum wall in the new school.

Day 1 Term 1, 2023 will be an important day for the new school and its community. Celebration events are currently being planned, including tours of the new building (once construction is completed), the blessing and official opening.