Westmead Catholic Community

We are growing to meet the needs of the expanding Westmead community. The new Parish and school will provide more opportunities to support the local community through faith, learning and outreach at a central location in Darcy Road. Anchored by Sacred Heart Parish, the Westmead Catholic Community (WCC) brings together multiple educational and support services, including Ambrose School Age Care and Early Learning, Sacred Heart Primary School, Mother Teresa Primary School, Catherine McAuley Westmead, and Parramatta Marist Westmead.

By bringing Sacred Heart Primary School and Mother Teresa Primary School together onto one campus shared with the parish, Parramatta Marist Westmead and Catherine McAuley Westmead students, families and staff will benefit from greater opportunities to create impactful, future-focused change — where every member can flourish, walk together, and grow in the way of Christ.

Catholic schools in Westmead are unable to meet growing demand, turning away more than 500 enrolment applicants every year for several years. A plan has been announced by the Diocese of Parramatta, Marist Trustees and supported by the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta, to provide more enrolment opportunities to meet the growing need of families seeking a Catholic education for their children locally. These changes are part of the Westmead Catholic Community initiative, which also includes new Parish facilities.

New Catholic primary school facilities in Westmead will open in Term 3 2026 and will be located at 2 Darcy Road, Westmead. A single Kindergarten to Year 6 primary school will replace the existing Sacred Heart Primary Westmead and Mother Teresa Primary Westmead schools and will be known as Sacred Heart Primary Westmead. The identities and traditions of each primary school will remain strong and vibrant within the Westmead Catholic Community. Expanding enrolment opportunities at Catherine McAuley Westmead and Parramatta Marist High School through the gradual upgrade of their existing facilities at a later date remains a priority.

Catholic schools in Westmead remain focused on ensuring the needs of students and their families are met. In Term 3, 2026, all current students of Sacred Heart Primary and Mother Teresa Primary will be automatically transferred to the new primary facilities at Darcy Road.

For families at Mother Teresa Primary, there will be no disruption to your existing Ambrose before and after school care arrangements. For families moving from Sacred Heart Primary, your Ambrose enrolment will be automatically transferred, and the Ambrose team will be in touch to assist you with updating your CCS and payment details.

As indicated earlier, and subject to the necessary approvals, Term 3 2026 is the scheduled time for the opening of the new primary school. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese’s enrolment policy continues to apply to all Catholic schools in Westmead.

The design of the new facilities for both primary and secondary students at schools in Westmead will see some changes to recreational facilities for students. Open spaces will be complemented by significant investment in creating up-to-date and exciting play and recreation spaces throughout the new buildings. These new spaces will be usable all-year round, in all weather and be tailored for the age groups who use different areas.

Research supports spaces like these to encourage more activity in children. Providing spaces throughout the new buildings, as well as on the ground, reduces the need for children to use stairs and lifts during the day and ensures all their break times can be used for play based and social activity. These spaces are also then easily accessible for outdoor learning and breakout areas as part of the overall learning engagement.

During the construction, some recreational spaces used by the schools will be relocated. These changes will be made in consultation with the school leadership teams. On completion, Westmead Catholic Community will maintain sufficient play space and open space for the planned number of students on campus.

Traffic management has been and will continue to be a major consideration in the planning for the Westmead Catholic Community. The Project Team has worked closely with local transport and traffic authorities, the NSW Government including Transport NSW and Western Sydney Local Health District, to discuss traffic management and transport. A traffic engineer has been consulted to provide expert advice on how to best manage the movement of people and vehicles. This is a major opportunity to improve traffic management and parking across the Darcy Road site, including during construction. A new multi-storey car park is being constructed as part of the project, as well as an additional school ‘kiss-and-drop’ area. and should address some of the traffic management concerns that were also raised during community consultations.

Yes, Catherine McAuley Westmead and Parramatta Marist High School will still be single-sex schools. The Westmead Catholic Community will provide additional opportunities for sharing resources and collaboration between schools. This may mean occasionally senior students from Catherine McAuley Westmead and Parramatta Marist High School share a class to make the provision of a specialist subject possible. Sufficient facilities will be provided to allow for combinations of single-sex and co-educational learning in a limited number of subjects for the two separate Year 7 to 12 secondary schools.

The Westmead Catholic Community will see the new parish, Sacred Heart Primary school, Catherine McAuley and Parramatta Marist located on the same site. An Ambrose Early Learning Centre is also planned as part of the initiative. There will be many opportunities for siblings to share in Westmead Catholic Community celebrations together.

The safety of all students will always be the number one priority for Westmead Catholic schools and in the design of Westmead Catholic Community. Shared resources including specialist learning areas will provide new opportunities for collaboration. Access to these resources will be carefully supervised to ensure that shared usage is safe and appropriate. Visitors to the school will be required to follow strict protocols.

Student safety has been a key consideration in the planning process for the site. A great benefit of redesigning the site and the buildings will be the ability to ensure sightlines for supervision are considered holistically, further adding to the overall safety and wellbeing of each child. The secure school premises will feature covered play areas designed for the exclusive use of particular year groupings to provide a safe environment for recreational activities. These arrangements promote student safety and encourage the development of social skills through opportunities to play with students of a similar age.

As part of the Catholic Church, Westmead Catholic Community shares a responsibility to care for God’s creation. The project will comply with all government requirements regarding environmental impacts and the facilities provided as part of the project will be more environmentally efficient. There will also be the possibility of Westmead Catholic schools participating in the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Energy Efficiency Program.

From Term 3 2026, all current students of Sacred Heart Primary and Mother Teresa Primary will be transferred to a state-of-the-art architect-designed building at Darcy Road. The two communities will be combined with a single motto and logo at the new school, called Sacred Heart Primary Westmead.

By bringing Sacred Heart Primary School and Mother Teresa Primary School together onto one campus shared with Parramatta Marist Westmead and Catherine McAuley Westmead, we will ensure the sustainability of a faith-centered, mission-driven environment that reflects the diversity, needs, and aspirations of our Westmead families.

In addition to increasing enrolment capacity, the new school will provide modern infrastructure, including a new car park and shared spaces for students. The existing Sacred Heart school site includes some playground space on a short-term lease from the Anglican Church. The Westmead Catholic Community initiative will provide more space for students to learn and play at the new location on Darcy Road.

Progress is being made on the new Sacred Heart Church and Parish Centre on Darcy Road with work to be completed by late 2026. The existing Church will remain open and available during the building phase of the project.

The new school will be called Sacred Heart Primary Westmead.

Students starting in 2026 will go to school at the current location. If enrolled at Mother Teresa, the student will attend the existing school at Darcy Road. If enrolled at Sacred Heart, the student will attend the existing school at Ralph Street.

From Term 3 2026, the new school, Sacred Heart Primary Westmead, will be completed and ready for learning.

We are working on a new uniform for the new primary school. We understand that this is a key concern for parents and are committed to access, inclusion and affordability during this time where cost of living pressures are on the rise. Information about the uniform will be confirmed and communicated as quickly as possible to allow enough time for families to purchase.

As with the introduction of new uniforms at any school, there will be a transition period before all students are required to wear it. We will prioritise opportunities to engage with parents and the wider community as we move forward with the process.

Yes, all students enrolled at Mother Teresa or Sacred Heart who wish to transfer to the new Sacred Heart Primary Westmead will be automatically enrolled in the new school. We are committed to making this transition as seamless as possible for our families.

Yes – we understand the importance of outside of school hours care and Ambrose will continue to provide before school, after school, and vacation care at the new school site.

For families currently enrolled at Mother Teresa, there will be no disruption to your existing Ambrose care arrangements.

For families moving from Ralph Street, your Ambrose enrolment will be automatically transferred, and the Ambrose team will be in touch to assist you with updating your CCS and payment details.

Ambrose will support children and families every step of the way to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.

There will not be a change in school fees as a direct result of this project, however school fees are subject to change as per the usual CSPD approach to fees. Catholic schools charge modest fees and aim to keep costs as affordable as possible for families. Financial assistance is available to our families. If your family needs assistance, please speak with your Principal. No child will be refused enrolment in a Catholic school because of a family’s inability to pay school fees.

More information is available on our Affordable Education page.

Over the first two terms of 2026, both schools will help students understand the upcoming transition and feel excited about their new learning environment and new friends

Mother Teresa and Sacred Heart are working closely with Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) across a range of areas - particularly learning - to ensure that the approach to learning and teaching is aligned and that students starting at either school experience a cohesive and seamless transition into their new classroom.

There will be plenty of opportunities for ALL students at both schools to come together throughout the first two terms, we want to prioritise opportunities for them to get to know each other.

Julianne Regan has been appointed as Principal of the new Sacred Heart Primary Westmead, effective from Term 3 2026.