St Bede’s College Mentone and St James College East Bentleigh to merge in 2021

Two more southeastern Melbourne Catholic colleges are set to join together, in a move that will offer “enhanced programs and learning opportunities”. And parents and students have been promised a say on the future.

St Bede’s College has announced plans to merge with St James College in East Bentleigh.

Two Catholic boys’ schools in Melbourne’s inner south have announced plans to merge.

Under the planned amalgamation, St James College in Bentleigh East will become part of Mentone’s St Bede’s College in 2021.

The announcement comes just a month after news Catholic girls’ school Presentation College Windsor would shut its doors sent shockwaves through the school community.

In a statement sent to the Leader, St Bede’s College board chairman Anthony Brinkley said St James’ East Bentleigh site, which caters to around 450 boys across years 7-10, would be used as a second campus for St Bede’s.

“(The merger) will allow the new St Bede’s College to offer enhanced programs and learning opportunities, with a wider range of options and experiences for all students,” he said.

“The new, combined college will be responsible for the continued provision of high-quality, outward-looking Lasallian education for over 2000 young men in Melbourne’s southeast.”

St Bede’s principal John Finn said the future direction of the amalgamated schools would be “built from the voices of the college communities”.

“Over the next 12 months we will be undertaking a significant consultation process with the parents, teachers, alumni and, importantly, our students, as we work towards a binding agreement that details the transfer of St James’ administrative operations to St Bede’s,” he said.

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Mr Finn said St James’ 50-year history would be recognised in the end result of the merger.

St James College principal Stephen Pooley said staff at both schools already worked closely with each other “for the benefit of the boys at both schools”.

“Bringing our learning communities together in this partnership from 2021 will ensure this good work can continue,” he said.

My School data shows enrolments at St James College have dropped by 26 per cent in the past decade, while student numbers at St Bede’s grew about 12 per cent in the same period.

Meanwhile, another historic Catholic campus, St Aloysius’ School, last month announced it would merge its Caulfield and Glen Huntly campuses next year following dwindling enrolments.

Data shows the 100-year-old Caulfield primary school’s numbers had dropped by 47 per cent in the past 10 years.