On the eve of Catholic Schools Week, Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools Tony Farley shares why families may choose to embrace and be part of the thriving communities and classrooms that are Sydney Catholic schools.

So why send your child to a Sydney Catholic school?

It’s a question parents ask every year as they navigate the seemingly endless education options that exist across the city of Sydney.

Even faithful practicing Catholics find themselves weighing up the options of public education, independent schools and sometimes home schooling for a small but growing number of families.

The mission of Sydney Catholic Schools is to know and love Christ through learning. Quite simply, Sydney Catholic schools are places where tradition meets the future with optimism and creativity and where our vast network of schools provide educational opportunities that are second to none.

Our vision is for thriving Catholic communities through excellent teaching and learning. Communities that hold fast to the teachings and beliefs of the Church while being places of love and safety for students and families who reflect the diversity of a society that is constantly changing.

Our schools are led by professionals who are … passionately committed to the success and growth of each and every student.

Excellence in learning is both concrete and real. Our students can expect to be high achievers in NAPLAN and the HSC while also having the capacity to critically and analytically think in a way that helps them thrive in the world of work they will enter.  Regardless of the educational path they pursue, students are challenged to be the best version of themselves. Sydney Catholic schools are unapologetic about striving for excellence in all the opportunities offered.

Students … confidently live and share their faith with others.

Sydney Catholic Schools is about to celebrate 200 years of Catholic education in Australia, which is a moment of both celebration and reflection about what has been, and what can be in the future. In a world that can appear increasingly secular and hostile to the Church and its teachings, our schools offer an encounter with the Gospel truth that is both traditional and contemporary and that celebrates the love of learning and the joy of a truly Christian life.

To educate is to change, and to be educated is to be changed. With 70,000 students and 150 schools, Sydney Catholic Schools has grown and prospered by responding to the times and adapting to the needs of our communities. Our schools are led by teachers and other professionals who are experts in their field, life-long learners and passionately committed to the success and growth of each and every student in their care.

Excellence in learning is both concrete and real.

Sydney Catholic Schools are communities of constant improvement, growth and ambition. Our schools are places where students are known for their excellence in learning and for their ability and willingness to confidently live and share their faith with others.

So why send your child to a Catholic school?  The answer is in the vision of being educated to know and love Christ through learning. To be part of a thriving Catholic community where every day our students are challenged to get the best academic results and to be expertly supported while they do it.