South Australian Catholic schools Marymount College, Sacred Heart College to merge
SACRED Heart and Marymount Colleges will merge to form a co-educational middle school in a $15 million plus major restructure of the Catholic system in the southwest suburbs.
SACRED Heart and Marymount Colleges will merge to form a co-educational middle school in a $15 million plus major restructure of the Catholic system in the southwest suburbs.
Students from all-girls middle school Marymount College will relocate to Sacred Heart’s middle school campus at Mitchell Park – which is currently boys-only – in 2019.
Marymount’s Hove campus will then be transformed into a primary school catering for children as young as three in long day care, through to preschool and up to Year 6.
Major campus redevelopments to accommodate the changes will cost about $8 million each.
Students from St Teresa’s School, Brighton, will move to the new primary school in 2020. St Teresa’s will close and the future use of that campus is yet to be decided.
Catholic Education SA director Helen O’Brien said the changes were aimed at strengthening and simplifying students’ pathways through the Catholic system, from the early years through to Year 12.
She said Sacred Heart would retain its name, while consultation would help decide what the primary school would be called.
“This is about ensuring the best opportunities for our students to flourish,” she said.
“The purpose-built co-educational middle school and new primary school will give families in the region enhanced access to future-focused learning and facilities.”
Both will have a strong focus on STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths.
The merged middle school will be for Years 7 to 9, unlike Marymount and Sacred Heart’s current middle school that both begin in Year 6.
Several parish primary schools will extend from Year 5 to taking Year 6s, as Catholic schools shift to a standardised system of high school beginning in Year 7.
Sacred Heart’s senior school will remain a co-ed campus for Years 10 to 12.
Principal Steve Byrne said the co-ed middle school may retain single-sex classes, but that would depend on parent consultation.
He said the Mitchell Park campus that has 680 boys could grow to as many as 850 students when co-ed, despite the loss of the Year 6s.
Ms O’Brien said staff may change campuses and roles, but all jobs were secure.
“Students, school families and staff in all schools will be supported and consulted through the transition period,” she said.
The new primary school will initially have 250-300 students but could grow to as many as 500.
Parents were informed of the changes on Thursday and community forums will be held in the coming weeks.