Box Hill Shopping Centre to become home to Santa Sophia Catholic College
A revolutionary Catholic school for almost 2000 students will be built within a new shopping centre in Sydney’s northwest.
- Developer Celestino to build sports and hockey fields at the gables
- Box Hill town centre could become a miniature New York City
- Masterplan, retail, commercial and education precinct approved
- Green Gables proposed as new suburb in Box Hill
A revolutionary Catholic school for almost 2000 students will be built within a new shopping centre at Box Hill.
A multimillion-dollar development application for Santa Sophia College was submitted by the Parramatta Catholic Education Diocese for the Box Hill Town Centre to The Hills Shire Council on December 21.
IN OTHER NEWS
CALLS FOR METRO NORTHWEST TO NEW AIRPORT RAIL CONNECTION
NSW PLANNING TO DECIDE IF $70 MILLION WORTH OF UNITS AT BOX HILL PROCEEDS
WHY HILLS COUNCIL BANKS ON ORBITAL LINK TO EASE BOTTLENECKS
It proposes a catholic school for students from kinder to year 12 and also includes an early-learning centre for 60 children and an out- of-hours-care facility.
However, Catholic Education executive director Greg Whitby said the new school will be “like no other”.
“The changing nature of education is making demands for schooling very different,” he told the Times.
“We are rethinking the way we provide infrastructure for schools, so Santa Sophia will be within the shopping centre so we can utilise the entire community and innovate the space.”
Mr Whitby revealed the school will “strip the traditional cohort education system” for a collaborative team learning structure that will partner up students from a range of age groups to complete tasks.
The proposal suggested the school would use a “hub system” including a knowledge centre and cafe, creative arts and applied sciences labs, performance space in a multipurpose hall, administration hub and a research hub for science and fitness.
HOW WE BROKE THE STORY:
Shopping malls the classrooms of future under Catholic Education Office plans
Students start off Santa Sophia Catholic College
“There will be space for everyone to work in collaboration — it is a totally different structure,” he said.
“Cohorts won’t be in existence — classes will be fluid.
“We will be working kids in teams based on their own learning experience.”
School principal Mark De Vries said a total of three high school classes are now operational at Schofields, as well as a kinder class at Our Lady of Angels in Kellyville.
“These classes will continue next year as the Box Hill College will be operational as of 2021 — these will include two year seven, two year eight and a single year nine class, while in Kellyville we will have two new kinder classes and a year one class,” Mr De Vries said.
“We are living in exciting times with a massive move towards technology.
“It will a student centred approach to learning, we are looking at the possibility of senior students not having to be in the classroom, similar to a lecture and tutorial system like university where they can log in online.”
The development application, which Mr Whitby said has been in the pipeline for quite some time, said there was an opportunity for the “sharing of school facilities with public after school hours and the potential use of local commercial space for additional school facilities”.
“The entire Gables development at Box Hill North covers 330 ha and estimated 4,100 dwellings,” a spokeswoman for Parramatta Catholic Education Diocese said in the report.
“Santa Sophia reflects the need for additional education infrastructure and alternative schooling options in this growing area.
“Santa Sophia will provide contemporary and flexible learning spaces accessible for the future population.”
Meet the talented young artists from ARTEXPRESS 2025
The annual art exhibition which shows some of the most outstanding and exemplary artworks across NSW by HSC visual arts students has opened. Meet the students and see their amazing works.
‘Immensely humbling’: Oz Day honours for Sydney’s local legends
While some call it “immensely humbling”, others have joked about thinking “which bastard has put me on here”. Meet Sydney’s local legends recognised on Australia Day.