Sutherland Shire Colleges Welcome New Cohorts

Sydney Catholic Schools’ (SCS) Sutherland Shire precinct is set to enter an exciting phase in 2024 with each of the precinct’s three schools welcoming new cohorts for the first time.

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer and De La Salle Catholic College Caringbah will both welcome their first Year 11 students this year, while St Aloysius College Cronulla will welcome its first Year 7 students.

The introduction of the new cohorts is the latest phase in SCS’ Sutherland Shire precinct, which has seen the three colleges transform into Year 7-12 single-sex and co-educational learning environments.

The precinct is the only one of its kind in the Shire, offering families different models of Catholic education with the same excellent teaching and learning SCS is renowned for.

Christine Harding, Principal of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer, said the college was looking forward to welcoming its first senior students.

“The college has a long history of empowering young women and providing them with a strong, well-rounded education, and we’re delighted to extend this to senior students for the first time,” she said.

“We have a number of new, dedicated teachers with specialised knowledge and expertise in the Year 11 and 12 curriculum, and we’re excited about what our students will be able to achieve under their guidance.”

Peter Buxton, Principal of De La Salle Catholic College Caringbah, said the addition of the new cohort of Year 11 students will help further establish the college as a leader in boys education in the Sutherland Shire.

“The response to the transition from the wider community has been overwhelmingly positive and we are well positioned to provide families with an education pathway that wasn’t previously available,” he said.

“We have been busy recruiting specialised staff and preparing the college to be able to expertly support our new students, and we’re confident that they will be given every opportunity that they need to succeed.”

Stephen Mahoney, Principal of St Aloysius College Cronulla, said the introduction of the new cohort represents the latest chapter in what has been a transformative period for the college.

“With our new identity and our expansion to a 7-12 college, our entire school community is feeling energised about the possibilities that lie ahead,” he said.

“For the first time, we are giving parents in the Sutherland Shire the option of a full Catholic Lasallian co-educational experience, and we are committed to extending our long history dating back to 1936 of fostering excellence to more families.”

Kevin Carragher, Director: Education and Research at SCS, said that families in the Sutherland Shire now have even more choice when it comes to quality, secondary Catholic education in the region.

“The expansion of the three colleges gives parents the ability to choose the best fit for their child, knowing that they will receive the same commitment to educational excellence at any one of the three colleges,” he said.

“Within the precinct model, we’re already seeing the colleges collaborating together to share resources, facilities and expertise, and we’re excited about what this will continue to bring to students, families and teachers alike.”