Tour of new Catholic Primary School set to open in Clyde North in 2025

Excitement is building as St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School prepares to open its doors in January 2025. 

Situated in the new Five Farms estate in Clyde North, the school will provide families in the eastern area of the St Thomas the Apostle Parish with access to quality Catholic education. 

This week, three State Members of Parliament - Ms Pauline Richards, State Member for Cranbourne, Mr Lee Tarlamis OAM, and Mr Michael Galea, State Members for the South Eastern Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council visited the school for an exclusive tour of the Stage 1 site.

Construction of the school building is complete and features an administration building and a teaching and learning centre comprising eight general learning areas. Landscaping is currently underway. The initial enrolment projection for 2025 is 120 students, with a long-term goal of accommodating up to 700 students as the school grows.

During the visit, the MPs met with Fr Denis O’Bryan – Parish Priest of St Thomas the Apostle Parish, Mr Paul Velten - Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale, Mr Dermot Cannon - General Manager Infrastructure and Support Services, the school’s Foundation Principal, Mrs Kathryn Pepper and school support staff.

Mr Paul Velten said the new St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School represented a pivotal moment for Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL), as it becomes the 39th Catholic primary school in the Diocese and the second in the St Thomas the Apostle Parish.

“It underlines DOSCEL’s commitment to providing accessible Catholic education to families in the rapidly growing Clyde North area, seeking a faith filled learning environment for their children,” Mr Velten said.

The school is named after St Josephine Bakhita, the first saint from Sudan, who overcame a harrowing past of slavery to find peace and purpose through her faith. 

Foundation Principal Mrs Kathryn Pepper said St Josephine Bakhita's journey serves as an inspiration for our school community, reinforcing our motto of Courage, Humility, and Forgiveness. 

“Recently we welcomed Foundation (Prep) enrolled students to visit the school and look forward to welcoming all our students and their families and creating a nurturing environment where they can thrive academically, socially, and spiritually.”

The Stage 1 building of the St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School project was supported by a $5million grant from the Victorian Government’s Non-Government Schools Capital Fund.

In an announcement in July this year, the Victorian Government confirmed a further grant of $6 million towards the construction of Stage 2 of the school which will add a further eight general learning areas, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) facility, an oval, more playground space, undercover hard court, and an extended car park. Construction on Stage 2 is expected to begin mid-2025.

For more information on St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School go to:

www.sjbclydenorth.catholic.edu.au/

About Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL)

DOSCEL directs and serves 39 Catholic primary schools and 5 Catholic secondary schools in the Diocese of Sale. The Diocese of Sale spans metropolitan, regional and rural areas between Narre Warren and Cranbourne in the west of the Diocese, to Phillip Island in the south and right throughout Gippsland to Orbost in the east.

Catholic Education in the Diocese of Sale is a vital expression of the mission of the Church. DOSCEL’s aim is to deliver the highest quality educational opportunities and outcomes for every student in every school in the diocese.  More information go to: www.doscel.catholic.edu.au

Media Inquiries:

DOSCEL Media and Communications team 0417 534 232