Catholic Education Office, Wollongong

What Catholic Education Office, Wollongong does

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) is the Catholic systemic education authority for the Diocese of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. It operates 38 Catholic schools—primary, secondary, and K-12—across four regions (Illawarra, Macarthur, Southern Highlands, and Shoalhaven), serving approximately 21,000 students with roughly 3,000 teaching and non-teaching staff. The organisation is owned and governed by the Diocese of Wollongong under the spiritual leadership of Bishop Brian Mascord, with day-to-day operations led by Executive Director of Schools Peter Hill and a Deputy Director and Director of People and Culture. CEDoW runs from a Wollongong headquarters (Level 5, 280–286 Keira Street) and a regional office, the Emmaus Centre, in Campbelltown.

CEDoW's core offering is K-12 Catholic education integrating faith formation, academic learning, and student wellbeing, guided by its "Lighting The Way" strategic plan and a "Connected Autonomy" framework that balances school-led improvement with system-supported resources. The product portfolio extends beyond classroom delivery to a set of differentiated education programmes: the Step into Teaching Scholarship Program (A$20,000 per recipient, supported 100+ future teachers since 2020); the Step Up into Teaching (SUIT) articulation with Australian Catholic University; the Innovate for Impact STEM showcase (63 projects from 15 schools feeding the Catholic Network Australia STEM MAD National Showcase); the Diocesan Sport Program; and the Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition. Technology infrastructure is provided mainly through CEnet (a shared Catholic-sector digital platform supporting school improvement plans and CEO initiatives) and a new Data Dashboards for School Leaders capability. The organisation also runs complementary social services through CatholicCare and capital financing through the Catholic Development Fund.

The business model is a not-for-profit, fee-and-grant funded education system with three principal recurring revenue streams: family tuition (kept low, with family/sibling discounts, no application fee, and hardship concessions); federal and state government funding for non-government Catholic schools; and in-flow scholarship funding (Step into Teaching). Distribution is purely through the physical school network—no digital or remote delivery—marketed via the diocese website (dow.catholic.edu.au), an Instagram presence (@cedow.schools), and direct community outreach. CEDoW positions itself as the largest provider of non-government schools in its four NSW regions with a 200-year legacy, and it is currently mid-expansion with St Carlo Acutis Catholic College (a new K-12 college in Leppington) targeted to open before 2030.

Name

Catholic Education Office, Wollongong

Legal name

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong

Website

https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) operates 38 Catholic systemic schools across the Illawarra, Macarthur, Southern Highlands, and Shoalhaven regions of New South Wales, serving approximately 21,000 students with about 3,000 staff and funded by family fees, government grants, and scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Catholic Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

Keywords

• Catholic education services
• K-12 schooling
• Primary secondary education
• Faith formation education
• Diocesan school system

Headquarters

HQ city

Wollongong

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. School Fees: Tuition fees charged to families for student enrolment in Catholic schools across the diocese. The diocese emphasizes keeping fees low and offers family and sibling discounts to ensure accessibility.
2. Government Funding: Federal and state government funding for non-government Catholic schools in Australia.
3. Scholarship Programs: Step into Teaching Scholarship providing $20,000 per recipient toward education degrees, demonstrating investment in future educators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) operates 38 Catholic systemic schools (primary, secondary, and K-12) across the Illawarra, Macarthur, Southern Highlands, and Shoalhaven regions of New South Wales, Australia. It delivers faith-based Kindergarten to Year 12 education to approximately 21,000 students, supported by specialised programs in STEM, sport, arts, and teacher development. The diocese also coordinates centralised system support, strategic planning under the 'Lighting The Way' framework, and a connected autonomy model linking all 38 schools.

Product overview

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong operates 38 Catholic schools (primary, secondary, and K-12) across Macarthur, Illawarra, Southern Highlands, and Shoalhaven regions, serving approximately 21,000 students and employing 3,000 teachers and support staff. The organization offers a portfolio of educational programs including the Step into Teaching Scholarship Program (launched 2020, supporting nearly 100 future teachers), the Step Up into Teaching (SUIT) partnership with ACU, the Innovate for Impact STEM showcase, Christmas Story Art Exhibition, and Diocesan Sport Program. A new K-12 college (St Carlo Acutis Catholic College) is planned for Leppington before 2030. The education system is guided by the 'Lighting The Way' strategic plan focusing on formation in Catholic tradition, student learning and wellbeing, belonging in connected community, system support for teaching, and ensuring Catholic schools continue to thrive.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Step into Teaching Scholarship Program: Scholarship program supporting high-performing graduates pursuing teaching careers, providing $20,000 towards education degrees, part-time employment, and guaranteed teaching positions.
• Step Up into Teaching (SUIT) Program
• STEM MAD

Products and services

• Catholic K-12 Education across 38 Schools Kindergarten to Year 12 Catholic education delivered through 38 primary, secondary, and K-12 schools across the Illawarra, Macarthur, Southern Highlands, and Shoalhaven regions of NSW, serving approximately 21,000 students with an emphasis on faith formation, academic excellence, wellbeing, and inclusive community.
• Step into Teaching Scholarship Program Scholarship program providing $20,000 toward education degrees, part-time employment as a school support officer during studies, academic mentor support, and a guaranteed three-year conditional permanent teaching position upon graduation. Designed for high-performing school leavers pursuing a career in Catholic education.
• Step Up into Teaching (SUIT) Program Partnership with Australian Catholic University (ACU) allowing Year 11 students to complete two units of their first-year teaching degree while still in secondary school, providing automatic admission into ACU for 2027. Targets high school students considering a teaching career.
• Innovate for Impact Showcase Diocesan STEM showcase and competition featuring projects from across the diocese's schools, where students apply STEM and design thinking to real-world Catholic social teaching contexts, with winning entries progressing to the Catholic Network Australia STEM MAD National Showcase.
• Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition Annual art competition and exhibition inviting Year 5 and 6 students from across the diocese's Catholic schools to explore the Christmas story through visual art, with finalists' pieces displayed at the Wollongong City Art Gallery.
• Diocesan Sport Program Comprehensive diocesan sport program offering diverse sporting and physical activity opportunities for students and teachers, including diocesan representative teams and carnivals across primary and secondary schools.
• St Carlo Acutis Catholic College, Leppington New co-educational Kindergarten to Year 12 Catholic college to be located on the corner of Heath and Rickard Roads, Leppington, with initial intake offering Kindergarten and Year 7 classes. Planned to open before 2030, this is the first K-12 college in Australia named after Saint Carlo Acutis.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rogers Construction GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 30 April 2026Construction company that delivered the $9.18 million facility upgrade at St Thomas More Catholic Parish Primary School, Ruse.
• BVNminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 February 2026Award-winning architectural firm appointed for initial design phase of St Carlo Acutis Catholic College, Leppington.
• Australian Catholic University (ACU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership through Step Up into Teaching (SUIT) Program allowing Year 11 students to complete first-year teaching degree units while in secondary school. Also hosts Step into Teaching Scholarship recipients.
• Catholic Schools NSW (CSNSW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeak body representing Catholic school systems in NSW, providing advocacy, support, and coordination across Catholic school dioceses in New South Wales.
• National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational body coordinating Catholic education policy and advocacy at the federal level across Australia.
• CEnetcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology services provider for Catholic education organisations, offering shared digital platforms and IT infrastructure.
• CatholicCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial services arm of the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong, providing family and community support services.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Brisbane Catholic Education: Large Catholic diocesan education system in Queensland. Comparable in scale and model but serves a different state — useful structural benchmark for diocesan operations and central-office functions.
• Catholic Education South Australia: Catholic diocesan education system in South Australia. Similar systemic K-12 structure; not a direct geographic competitor but a structural and operational peer.
• Catholic Education Western Australia: Catholic diocesan education system serving Western Australia. Comparable systemic model; informs cross-diocesan benchmarking despite geographic separation.
• Catholic Education Melbourne: Catholic diocesan education system serving Melbourne. Comparable scale and K-12 systemic model in a different state; useful for benchmarking governance and digital-platform strategies.

Broad incumbents

• NSW Department of Education: Operator of NSW public schools. The principal alternative provider competing for the same families across CEDoW's four regions; broad incumbent with vastly larger scale.
• Catholic Schools NSW: Peak body representing all Catholic school systems in NSW, including CEDoW. Provides advocacy, coordination, and policy influence across dioceses — broader umbrella role but deeply tied to CEDoW's operating environment.

Direct peers

• Sydney Catholic Schools: Operates a large network of Catholic systemic schools across the Archdiocese of Sydney. Closest comparable by structure, scale, and NSW geographic context — directly competes for Catholic-school families in overlapping NSW catchments.
• Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta: Catholic diocesan education system serving Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Highly comparable operating model with similar school mix (primary, secondary, K-12) and overlapping Macarthur-region catchment.
• Catholic Schools Diocese of Bathurst: Smaller NSW Catholic diocesan school system. Comparable operating model; relevant given that Sharee Hughes, an Education Officer at CEDoW, previously served at the Diocese of Bathurst, indicating fluid talent and operational practices between NSW dioceses.

Others

• Independent Schools Australia: Peak body for Australia's independent schools. Represents competing non-government providers (e.g., private and independent schools) that compete with Catholic systemic schools for fee-paying families across NSW regions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cedow.schools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catholic Education Office, Wollongong