Plan to merge Parramatta Marist, Catherine McAuley, primary schools into Westmead mega school
Four Catholic schools in Westmead are set to merge into one massive Catholic education community in a multimillion-dollar redevelopment.
Parramatta
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Four Catholic schools in Westmead are set to merge into one massive Catholic education community in a multimillion-dollar redevelopment that will see the creation of classrooms and learning spaces in buildings ranging from two to seven stories high.
The new vision to combine the schools — which includes Sacred Heart Primary, Mother Teresa Primary, Catherine McAuley Westmead and Parramatta Marist High School — would result in a doubling of the capacity of the ‘mega school’ to over 6000 students.
The new Westmead Catholic Community would also include the Sacred Heart Parish Westmead, and would be located on the current Parramatta Marist High School site in Darcy Rd, neighbouring Westmead Hospital and Western Sydney University.
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Parramatta Catholic Diocese executive director, Greg Whitby, revealed the masterplan for the new multi-school community was in response to “unprecedented population growth and growing demand for infrastructure, education and learning services in Westmead” in an exclusive interview with the Parramatta Advertiser.
“We are reimagining schooling in the 21st century,” Mr Whitby said. “We want to make our schools even more relevant to today, so students are equipped to be a change agent of the future.”
The development of the new Catholic schools community at Darcy Rd will be staged over the next nine years, with a phase one introduction of a new church and the relocation of Sacred Heart Primary from Ralph St, Westmead, to the Darcy Rd site.
Stage one will also involve the creation of a Catholic Early Learning Centre, which is set to be complete by 2023.
Mr Whitby said enrolments at current Catholic schools in Westmead have peaked, with more than 500 students being turned away each year.
“We have no capacity to expand on our current sites, so this project will support future expansion.”
Stage two of the education community masterplan includes the construction of new facilities for high schools, Catherine McAuley and Parramatta Marist, as well as other community facilities.
The masterplanned redevelopment is expected to be complete by 2028.
Parramatta Bishop, Vincent Long Van Nguyen, said the identities and traditions of all four Westmead Catholic schools will “remain strong and vibrant within the Westmead Catholic Community”.
“Over time, students will be provided with contemporary learning opportunities from the adjacent health and education precincts,” he said.
“The new facilities are also expected to benefit the broader local community.”
Sacred Heart Primary Westmead will cater for students from Early Learning to Year 2 and Mother Teresa Primary Westmead will serve students from Year 3 to Year 6.
A NSW State Significant planning application is expected to be submitted this year, following extensive community engagement planned to start this month.
Catholic Education is currently developing two new schools across Western Sydney, including a STEM School at Sydney science Park as well as a high-rise school in Box Hill.