Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools

What Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools does

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools operates a nonprofit Catholic K-12 education system across a defined coastal strip of Northern New South Wales, running 45 school communities that serve more than 18,000 students and employ approximately 2,500 staff. The system is governed by the Catholic Schools Office under the Diocese of Lismore, led by Bishop Most Reverend Greg Homeming OCD and Director Adam Spencer, with each individual school managing its own enrollment directly with families (formal enrollment runs mid-March through end of May) and the diocese explicitly declining to use agents for overseas student recruitment.

The portfolio is anchored by a system-wide Fullness of Life Framework (in development since 2018) unifying five domains — Mission, Pastoral Care, Catholic Leadership, Learning and Teaching, and Family, School and Community Partnership — and includes primary and secondary schools, a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 45649) delivering Vocational Education and Training courses, an Online Education Centre (operating since 2003, originally internal and now serving Catholic high schools across NSW via inter-diocesan partnerships), and The Teaching School (formerly the RiTE Initiative), a partnership with Southern Cross University placing Resident Teaching Consultants in five schools to mentor pre-service teachers. All schools are CRICOS-registered (03332M) and NESA-accredited.

Revenue is generated through a combination of tuition fees set at the diocesan level for all primary and secondary schools (with school-level levies for excursions, technology, and subjects), Australian government funding under the national Catholic school funding framework, and ancillary income. Fees are billed annually and are supported by flexible payment options and hardship assistance managed at the school level. The organization is registered as a nonprofit religious education entity in New South Wales, Australia.

Name

Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools

Legal name

Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools

Website

https://lism.catholic.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools is a nonprofit Catholic education system operating 45 primary and secondary schools across Northern NSW, serving over 18,000 students with roughly 2,500 staff. Revenue derives from diocesan-set tuition fees, government funding, and ancillary levies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic K-12 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 K-12 education
• Primary secondary schooling
• Religious education
• Vocational education training
• Online secondary courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Lismore

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. School Tuition Fees: Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools sets school fees for all primary schools and secondary colleges. Costs such as excursions, camps, extracurricular activities, technology levies, subject levies etc. are generally additional to the set school fee.
2. Government Funding: Catholic schools receive government funding as part of the Australian education system. The diocese references funding and annual reports as part of their governance documentation.
3. Fee Assistance and Financial Support: Schools offer flexible payment options and fee assistance for families experiencing financial hardship. Each school manages its own fee assistance processes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools operates a system of 45 primary and secondary Catholic schools along the coastal strip of Northern New South Wales (from Tweed Heads to Laurieton), serving more than 18,000 students with approximately 2,500 staff. It delivers faith-based K-12 education including Religious Education, Vocational Education and Training (RTO 45649), the Online Education Centre for HSC courses, and The Teaching School partnership with Southern Cross University, all unified by the Fullness of Life Framework.

Product overview

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools operates as a unified Catholic education system comprising 45 school communities serving over 18,000 students across coastal NSW. The portfolio includes primary and secondary Catholic schools, supported by core services: Religious Education as the foundational curriculum; Vocational Education & Training (VET) through RTO 45649; an Online Education Centre for HSC courses; and The Teaching School (formerly RiTE Initiative) in partnership with Southern Cross University. The system is guided by the Fullness of Life Framework, unifying five domains: Mission, Pastoral Care, Catholic Leadership, Learning and Teaching, and Family, School and Community Partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Teaching School: Partnership with Southern Cross University transforming teacher education through immersion in real classrooms with experienced educators
• Online Education Centre
• Diocese of Lismore Sport

Products and services

• Catholic Schools Education System (K-12)

Quantifiable outcome

• 45 vibrant and dynamic school communities serving more than 18,000 students with approximately 2,500 staff

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Maitland-Newcastle DioceseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Assisted in the growth of the Online Education Centre which commenced operation in 2003 to deliver online HSC courses to Catholic schools across NSW.
• Southern Cross UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Teaching School partnership where Southern Cross University student teachers are mentored by Resident Teaching Consultants (RTCs) in real classrooms. RTCs act as the formal link between the university and schools, enhancing teaching quality and supporting professional development. Currently operating in five schools: St Joseph's Primary Tweed Heads, St Ambrose Pottsville, St John Paul College Coffs Harbour, St Augustine's Coffs Harbour, and Mary Help of Christians Sawtell.
• Broken Bay DioceseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the Online Education Centre to deliver online Preliminary and HSC courses to Catholic high school students across NSW.
• Wagga Wagga DioceseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the Online Education Centre to deliver online Preliminary and HSC courses to Catholic high school students across NSW.
• Catholic Schools NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiocese of Lismore is affiliated with Catholic Schools NSW which provides system-level support, advocacy and coordination for Catholic schools in NSW.
• National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational body representing Catholic education in Australia. Diocese of Lismore is affiliated and works within the national Catholic education framework.
• NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)coreOthersAll teachers must be registered with NESA which helps teachers be the best they can be to have the greatest impact on every learner. Schools follow NSW syllabuses for the Australian Curriculum approved by NESA.
• Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) NSW/ACTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPeak representative body for parents and carers of children in NSW Catholic schools. Develops tools to assist parents in engaging with their child's education and advocates for Catholic school parents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Association of Independent Schools NSW: Peak body representing non-government, non-Catholic independent schools across NSW. Others: not a direct competitor (different faith/operating model), but a relevant ecosystem participant that competes for the same fee-paying family cohort and engages with the same NSW regulatory and funding framework.

Direct peers

• Catholic Education Western Australia: Catholic education authority overseeing K-12 Catholic schools across Western Australia. Direct peer: state-wide Catholic school system with comparable multi-campus governance, government funding reliance, and faith-based differentiation.
• Brisbane Catholic Education: Catholic school authority operating primary and secondary schools across the Archdiocese of Brisbane in Queensland. Direct peer: a large Australian Catholic diocesan K-12 system with the same faith-based mission, NESA-equivalent curriculum, and government-plus-fees funding model.
• Sydney Catholic Schools: Operates the Archdiocese of Sydney's system of Catholic primary and secondary schools across greater Sydney. Direct peer: another NSW-based Catholic diocesan system running a multi-school K-12 network with the same mission-aligned, parish-based operating model as the Diocese of Lismore.
• Catholic Schools of Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle: Catholic diocesan school system covering the Hunter and Lake Macquarie region of NSW. Direct peer: similar K-12 Catholic school network operating under diocesan governance, and a current partner of Lismore's Online Education Centre for HSC delivery.
• Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS): Catholic education office for the Archdiocese of Melbourne, operating one of Australia's largest Catholic K-12 school networks. Direct peer: interstate Catholic diocesan K-12 system with shared operating model, government funding exposure, and VET/RTO-style pathways.
• Catholic Schools Broken Bay: Catholic school system for the Diocese of Broken Bay on the NSW Central Coast. Direct peer: NSW Catholic diocesan K-12 operator and a current partner of Lismore's Online Education Centre for online Preliminary/HSC delivery.
• Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong: Diocesan Catholic school system serving the Illawarra region of NSW. Direct peer: another NSW Catholic diocesan operator of K-12 schools, comparable in scale and regional concentration, sharing the same NESA and Catholic Schools NSW framework.
• Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst: Diocesan Catholic school system covering western and central western NSW. Direct peer: regional NSW Catholic K-12 school network with comparable geographic dispersion and rural/regional enrolment profile.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Schools NSW: State-level peak body representing Catholic schools in NSW, of which the Diocese of Lismore is an affiliate. Broad incumbent: not a direct operating peer, but a system-level umbrella providing advocacy, coordination, and policy representation that shapes the operating environment for the Diocese.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries47 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 Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools