Announcement – MacKillop College Wyndham Vale Campus

Dear Families,

I am excited to announce that MacKillop College will be undertaking development of a third campus in Wyndham Vale, set to open in 2027.

Some background information
Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS), our governing authority, wrote to us at the beginning of this year asking for us to consider the development of a new Kinder to Year 12 (K-12) campus of MacKillop College at Ballan Road, Wyndham Vale – as part of the Jubilee Estate. From MACS’s point of view there is increasing demand for Catholic education in the Parish of Werribee, and we are ideally situated to meet this need.

The MACS Board and the Archbishop of Melbourne have approved this project. Our Leadership team and the School Advisory Council have also considered the relevant information at a recent meeting, leading to the endorsement of the decision to expand.

Key considerations
There are several challenges we will be working through in coming months, not least of which being staffing and resourcing when considering such a significant expansion. Discussion around the modelling of enrolment numbers and financial impacts have been completed to review the viability of a third campus, and considerable thought is being given to the model on the new campus, whether K-9, K-10 or K-12. We are also considering our organisational structure as we shift from a school of 1730 students to a long-term student enrolment in excess of 3000 students across the three campuses.

The ‘Why’
There are a few key drivers behind this decision. Firstly, as a Catholic school, we have an intrinsic mission to meet the demand for Catholic education as it arises and, with Wyndham Vale being the fastest growing residential area in Australia, there is a genuine need to cater to the students entering the area. Combined with our Catholic ethos to bring the Word of God to as many people as possible, this is a challenge we as a College feel called to embrace.

I hope you can join me in looking forward to this new and exciting chapter in the evolution of MacKillop College, as the intention is that Kinder will commence at the new campus in 2027, with Primary and Year 7 students following in 2028.

More information will be forthcoming as I invite you to be a part of the journey. Should you have any queries or concerns, please contact the College via wvcampus@mackillop.vic.edu.au.

Kind regards,
Chris Caldow
Principal