Learning at St Patrick's

St Patrick's Marist College is one of 80 great Catholic schools across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. We're so proud to be one of these unique school communities!

At St Patrick’s Marist College, we are committed to the future of our students. A forward-thinking approach is at the core of our learning and teaching.

Our students and their varied needs drive all that we do at the College, and as such our focus is on learning through innovation that builds:

Creativity

Critical thinking

Collaboration

Communication skills

A rich culture of Learning - St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas

A rich culture of learning

At St Patrick’s Marist College, we are committed to the future of our students and a forward-thinking approach is at the core of our learning and teaching. A contemporary Marist education prepares students to be critical thinkers equipped with the skills that our changing world demands. We recognise that education must be relevant with real world applications, and must create students with flexible thinking skills and resilience.

Our story

Student Centred Learning - St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas

Learning that is student-centred

In the fast paced world our students inhabit, this approach best prepares them to make valuable contributions in their workplaces, communities and the larger global society. Students are challenged to take responsibility for their own learning, developing effective thinking skills and problem-solving strategies.

Teaching strategies such as ‘flipped learning’, are employed in our learning spaces to encourage a deeper engagement with subject material. Reversing the traditional approach towards instruction and homework allows students to spend class time in active discussions and creative projects related to their course material.

We are moving towards an inquiry based learning model, one that poses questions to our students and is a more active way of learning.

Dedicated Educators - St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas

Passionate educators who care

We celebrate the achievements of our students in a variety of ways and recognise that success is based on the individual. All of our students find success throughout their years at the College, and as educators we believe we have a vital role in helping young people recognise their own self-worth and identifying their individual successes.

Learn about our dedicated educators

Curriculum - St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas

A comprehensive curriculum

The college has a broad curriculum that caters for a wide range of student interests and abilities, with the opportunity to choose from a broad ranger of courses and subjects.

Subjects on offer

Learning Spaces - St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas

Learning spaces and tools matched to student needs

Students at St Patrick's Marist are given the benefit of a learning environment that reflects the world around them. Our College boasts a modern, well-resourced and spacious campus offering students a variety of learning spaces designed for true flexibility and to enhance the learning opportunities of our students. Facilities include an industry standard hospitality and kitchen space, the latest technology and an extensive range of open spaces to engage students in their learning.

Features and Facilities

Religious Education - St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas

Religious Education

As a Catholic school we also have a strong religious dimension that runs through all the KLAs and is also formally recognised as the KLA of Religious Education.

St Patrick’s Marist College students take part in formal Religious Education every day, based on the new Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese curriculum that is relevant to our students and to the world they live in.

Our faith journey

Student Relationships - St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas

Building strong relationships

St Patrick’s Marist College is a co-educational high school that offer students the chance to belong to a dynamic learning community that values the achievements of every individual. The needs and wellbeing of our students are at the centre of all we do.

We encourage partnerships between staff, students and the wider community. We respect diversity and celebrates inclusion.

Student wellbeing

Wiyanga High Support Needs Centre - St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas

Wiyanga – A centre for students with high support needs

St Patrick’s Marist College is home to ‘Wiyanga’, a purpose-built facility that offers students with High Support Needs inclusion in the Catholic schooling system. The newly completed learning spaces are open to students from all over the diocese who have been diagnosed with moderate intellectual disabilities, and at full capacity can cater for 30 students.

The state of the art learning spaces are designed around the needs of the students and their curriculum, offering accessibility for those with physical disabilities and flexibility that allows teachers to tailor the spaces and furniture to each individual student’s learning preferences.

Learn more about Wiyanga

A well resourced school library

CSPD school libraries are physical and digital places of inquiry and reading. They provide access to a range of resources that help kids on their Learning journey and help inspire purposeful learning. Through access to our library resources and services, students develop a range of learner dispositions and capabilities to cultivate a culture of curiosity, creativity, imagination and innovation.

eLibrary is the digital gateway to the range of quality online resources that encourage and enhance reading and support inquiry learning.

Access our elibrary

Our Catholic faith lights the way as we guide your child’s learning journey. We are led by love, compassion and respect for all.
We walk with Jesus and with those in need, both at school and in the community. Together in Christ, we will change the world.
We see the good in each child. Every child deserves to be safe, known and cared for. Every child can learn lots, grow as a person and be happy.

Here’s what we think about learning

Let’s work together

Every child’s learning journey begins at home. We’ll work with you to make sure that your child is on track at school too. This means getting to know your child well, especially what gets them excited about learning.

Like you, we understand that great teachers make a real difference in a child’s life. That’s why we’ll make sure that your child’s teachers are skilled up and supported by an effective Principal with a passion for learning and caring.

Our teaching is up-to-date

Our children’s adult lives will be very different from our own. Technology is changing everything including the way they will work. To prepare them for whatever that future holds, our school has had to change and will need to keep changing.

Learning today is so much more than facts and figures. Information will be coming at them from everywhere so they need to learn to make sense of it all and the world around them. We’re focused on developing strengths that students need now and in the future - communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and so much more.

We’ll work with your child to find out what interests them and show them ways to learn more.
We’ll use real world problems to show how the skills we learn at school are relevant for life.
We’ll work closely with your child as they learn to take responsibility for learning too.

It’s a great start to a lifelong learning journey. And our teachers are lifelong learners too!

This is how we do it

So much more is being asked of teachers today. Not only will teachers get to know your child’s needs, they’ll change their teaching approaches to meet them where they’re at. This means teachers need to be ready to share skills with students, help students plan their learning, track how each student is progressing, and respond with extra support as needed. After all, learning how to learn is even more important than what we learn.

We’re supporting your child’s learning

Our school is a place where curiosity, imagination and love of learning are treasured. We know schools should be places of wonder, exploration and endless possibilities. Our school is full of great teachers working together to meet your child’s needs in spaces that are designed for up-to-date learning. There are places for students to work together and for working independently. They are places where the latest technology supports your child’s learning.

We’ll make this work for you and your child

Every child is different and so is their learning journey. Teamwork between our school and families, expert staff, state-of-the-art technology, well-designed facilities, and a can-do attitude help us to meet your child’s needs better. Our school is a community of learners, thinkers and achievers. It is a safe place for each child to belong, make friends and be cared for.

Let’s keep talking!

We’ll take every opportunity to talk with you about your child’s learning. The best learning happens when there’s a strong partnership between home and school. We know you want to know how the learning works, and we’ll keep you updated when it’s working well for your child and when it’s not. After all, we’re all in this together.