Parade College to admit female students for landmark program with La Trobe University

A new tertiary pathways program by the state’s oldest Catholic boys’ school will offer male and female students the chance to attend a Victorian university without an ATAR.

Female students will be invited to attend Parade College to participate in a landmark program that gives students access to La Trobe University without an ATAR.

One of Victoria’s oldest Catholic boys’ schools will admit female students for the first time in 2025 as part of a landmark program guaranteeing direct entry to university without an ATAR.

Parade College, which dates back to 1871, will enrol both girls and boys in its vocational major at its Preston campus, the Herald Sun can reveal.

The new Tertiary Pathways Program will allow both boys and girls enrol in a new two-year Business Academy program and an expansion of the existing Sport Academy program.

When students have successfully completed year 11 and 12, they will gain direct entry into a range of undergraduate courses within the Health Sciences, Humanities and Business schools at La Trobe University.

Students will be able to enter university without needing to sit VCE exams or attain an ATAR tertiary score.

Parade College is the only secondary school with this direct pathway into La Trobe University but a number of other schools have partnerships with other tertiary institutions offering alternative pathways.

Boys and girls will have the opportunity to enrol in a new two-year Business Academy program which will be an expansion of the existing Sport Academy program.

Support is also growing among school leaders for alternative entry options to universities that do not require students to endure the pressure-cooker environment of VCE exams and obtaining an ATAR score.

Parade College principal Mark Aiello said it was “exciting to be able to provide this pathway to students without the pressure of exams”.

“If it means other schools follow the lead then that would be fantastic,” he said.

“There are a lot of students who are academically able and don’t want the worry of exams, but they still want to go to university.”

“ Students don’t want to be defined by their ATAR.”

Mr Aiello said the addition of full-time female students will further enrich the school community.

“For many years now, we’ve welcomed female students from other secondary schools to both of our campuses to access our VET programs.

“But this seemed like the right time to expand our offerings in terms of the academies and offer positions to girls full-time at Preston.”

He said the school’s commitment to all-boys’ education at the Bundoora campus continued. “We have a proud 153-year history educating boys and will continue that tradition,” he said.

The initiative follows the State Government introduction of a new VCE vocational major stream in 2023 for year 11 and 12 students.

Students still finish school, and although they don’t receive a study score, can go into the workforce, get an apprenticeship or enter tertiary education through alternate pathways.

Parade College principal Mark Aiello, left, says the program is an exciting opportunity for students.

La Trobe Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Future Growth Dr Stacey Farraway said the university had a strong focus on providing alternative pathways into tertiary education.

“We offer a range of pathways into studying at the university for those students who have the ability and are keen to study with us,” she said.

“Parade College’s academies programs are offering that opportunity via a VET qualification pathway, to study a select number of courses at La Trobe.”

Parade College is an independent, Catholic, all-boys school with two campuses in Bundoora and Preston run by Edmund Rice Education Australia.

More than 1900 students are enrolled at the college, which scored a year 9 NAPLAN average of 570.6 last year.

Other programs available at the school include the Manchester City Football School, which provides students with the opportunity to learn how to play soccer from a coach who has worked with the renowned English Premier League team.

Parade College became the first school in Australia to partner with Manchester City in 2022, with the program also giving students access to first-class facilities, including FIFA accredited pitches and indoor alternatives.