Education in Sydney’s inner west is about to undergo an exciting transformation with the amalgamation of three Catholic schools into a new K-12 co-educational college.
Tony Farley, Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, has announced that the system’s three Ashfield schools — St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School, Bethlehem College and De La Salle College — will combine to form St Vincent’s College Ashfield from the beginning of the 2023 school year.
Mr Farley said St Vincent’s College will be a lighthouse school in the Ashfield community.
“Catholic Education in Ashfield is entering a new era where three schools will become one and where educational excellence, with specialised curriculum, extraordinary sporting opportunities and cutting-edge partnerships with businesses and innovation leaders will happen every day,” Mr Farley said.
St Vincent’s College Ashfield will support the needs of the changing inner west community and meet the demand in the area for quality Catholic education for all ages.
Aligning with the teachings of St Vincent de Paul, the college will form the vision of students who thrive, influence and help create a just and equitable world.
The college will offer a broad curriculum and greater choice including areas of specialisation in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, entrepreneurship and global capabilities, and will provide students with opportunities for engaging in a range of learning pathways and partnerships with universities, the corporate sector and not-for-profits.
The reinvigorated education offering will provide pre to post schooling opportunities to benefit the broader Ashfield community.
Shared community facilities will be accessible to surrounding Catholic schools and university students. This includes a study centre and before and after school care, available from 7am to 7pm.
The college will be divided into three sections: Early (Kindergarten to Year 4), Middle (Year 5 to Year 8) and Senior (Year 9 to Year 12). The college will commence as a Kindergarten to Year 12 college from the beginning of the 2023 school year.
In 2023, Years 11 and 12 will continue to have some co-educational as well as some single sex classes. Years 7 to 10 will continue to operate as single-sex within the K-12 college.
In the 2024 school year, and thereafter, the Year 7 cohort will commence as co-educational, with all the years operating as co-educational by January 2027.
A recruitment campaign for the college’s principal and leadership team will commence shortly, with the key roles to be appointed in 2022.
“We are looking forward to offering families in the inner west a seamless co-educational experience with reduced transition points across the K-12 learning journey, together with strong partnerships and collaborations with local parish communities,” Mr Farley said.
He said the college will also reflect each of the three school’s unique identities and work collaboratively to become one.
“It’s important that we combine the 150 plus-year history of the three schools into a powerful future where faith-filled, ethical and optimistic influencers embrace a Church to the world mission,” Mr Farley added.
“The culture, tradition and values of the three schools, the Vincentians, the Sisters of Charity, and the De La Salle Brothers will continue as we unite as one community.”
Click here to find out more about the new school, or email our dedicated project team at: ashfieldk12@syd.catholic.edu.au.
St Vincent’s College Ashfield is currently accepting enrolments for 2023 and 2024. Contact St Vincent’s Primary, Bethlehem College or De La Salle College to start your child’s learning journey today.