How is the master plan servicing our growing community?
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.
The renewal and improved use and sharing of spaces will help to foster better connections between the parishes, schools and community.
Once the construction program is complete, Corpus Christi College will be a coeducational a six-stream secondary school with capacity for 1080 students.
How will the building program be managed to maintain quality experiences for students, staff and parishioners?
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 Corpus Christi College.
The project team, including the school principal, will work hard to mitigate disruptions for students, staff and parishioners. We have tried to ensure that noisy or disruptive work has 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.
How will Corpus Christi College transition to a fully co-educational secondary school?
Girls have been enrolled in the Year 7 cohort from 2023, and will be enrolled in each subsequent Year 7 cohort. There will not be co-educational cohorts in existing boy-only 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 Corpus Christi 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 that have successfully transitioned from single sex to co-education, such as Marist Catholic College North Shore and Marist Catholic College Penshurst.