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Amalgamation Process
The Amalgamation of
Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) is seeking input from staff, parents, and friends of Aranmore Catholic Primary School, Aranmore Catholic College and St Mary’s Parish in Leederville as the schools amalgamate into one Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 (K – 12) College.
The 2024 consultation period was informed by sub-committees with parent and staff representatives from both the schools, as well as St Mary’s Parish, who researched and reported on both the benefits and the challenges of amalgamating the two schools. The impetus for the consideration was based on informal conversations over the past two decades between both school communities and the neighbouring parish about a possible amalgamation of the two schools. The consolidated recommendations from these stakeholders was ratified by The Catholic Education Commission of WA (CECWA), CEWA’s governing body.
The Most Rev Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth has endorsed the continuation of the name Aranmore Catholic College for the Pre-Kindergarten – Year 12 (K-12) College. Honouring the history of the current school communities whilst embarking on this new chapter. Approval has also been received from the Department of Education.
The shift from consultation to the implementation phase of this project will include both the school and college communities to ensure there is a smooth transition which honours the rich shared background of both schools, and sets the new K – 12 College up for success moving forward. Further consultation will take place across 2025 to include the communities’ voices in the amalgamation process.
The process to recruit a substantive Principal for the new K-12 College has begun. Further details are available here. Applications close at 2.00pm Friday 7 March 2025. An Interim Catholic School Advisory Council will be formed to work with and support the K-12 College Principal to progress the amalgamation. The current School and College Principals and Catholic School Advisory Councils will continue in their roles for the remainder of 2025.
You are also invited to have your say in this amalgamation process, by adding your question or concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will an amalgamation impact tuition fees and other school fees?
There will not be a sudden, large increase in school fees at either school merely as a result of the amalgamation. School fees will increase in line with the Direct Measure of Income (DMI) or parents’ capacity to contribute.
How will the amalgamation affect the education outcomes for students?
The newly appointed Principal will work with the current (two) principals, the Interim Catholic School Advisory Council, and Catholic Education Office staff to make strategic decisions that will enhance the educational and pastoral offerings in both the primary and secondary settings.
How will the amalgamation affect enrolments?
Experience over the past fifteen years has demonstrated the increased popularity of Kindergarten to Year 12 (K – 12) schools in Western Australia and this has certainly been the case with the Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) K – 12 schools. We would expect demand for enrolments at both of the schools to increase across all year levels, due to the amalgamation.
If there is a big increase in enrolments, what plans are in place for the additional resources required to meet any sudden increase in the next school year?
Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) will ensure there is adequate staffing and resources to accommodate larger numbers, if required, and CEWA has contingency funds set aside specifically for this, should it happen.
When will the amalgamation go ahead?
The 2025 school year will be used to form an Interim Catholic School Advisory Council who will consult with the school and parish communities, and staff from the Catholic Education Office to make informed decisions around the many aspects of the new college. The new Kindergarten to Year 12 (K – 12) College will begin officially on 1 January 2026.
Will the uniforms change?
The newly appointed Principal will work with the current principals, the Interim Catholic School Advisory Council, and Catholic Education Office staff to make strategic decisions regarding issues important to current and prospective parents such as uniform changes. Every effort will be made to minimise adverse financial impacts associated with decision-making, as such, even if a new uniform were to be designed and launched, transition arrangements will be in place to ensure that current uniforms may continue to be worn during an extended transition period.
How will the safety of the primary school children be ensured in both transport between campuses, and safety within the college environment /potential negative influence of teenage behaviour on primary school children.
All Catholic schools follow Catholic Education WA’s policies and procedures which place child safety at the heart of the school environment. Currently students from both the Primary School and College travel between the two sites on a number of occasions throughout the term – this is always done with thorough planning and due consideration to ensuring students are kept safe at all times.
There is great respect for the developmental, pastoral and educational needs of all students, and any interactions between students from different Year Levels is always carefully considered and appropriately supervised by teachers and support staff. Any learning opportunities and sharing of resources would be purposeful and under the direction of knowledgeable teachers.
Given that the primary and secondary campuses are in different locations, any interactions are likely to be limited and focused on times where resources or activities available on a specific campus would be beneficial for other students to use. Such times would always be communicated with parents and caregivers in advance.
How will the history and traditions of both schools be honoured in any future amalgamation?
The newly appointed Principal will work with the current principals, the Interim Catholic School Advisory Council, and Catholic Education Office staff to make strategic decisions regarding issues important to current and prospective parents, such as how best to honour the history of both schools.
Will the new principal have both high school and primary school experience?
Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) has embarked on a comprehensive process to appoint a new principal of the amalgamated school. Thorough consultation with staff and parent representative groups of both existing schools informed the selection criteria. The appointment panel will include primary and secondary principalship experience to ensure a suitably qualified individual is selected. The successful candidate will have a transition period, receiving the support of key CEWA personnel, the Interim Catholic School Advisory Council and the two current principals.