St Catherine's School

What St Catherine's School does

St Catherine's School is an independent, single-sex (girls) K-12 private school headquartered at 17 Heyington Place, Toorak, Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1896 in Castlemaine and relocated to its current Toorak campus in the 1920s, the school operates a continuous educational pathway across four divisions: the Early Learning Centre (ages 3-5) in Campbell House (The Ilhan Family Centre); Barbreck Junior School (Prep to Year 6); Senior School (Years 7-12) preparing students for VCE; and the Illawarra Boarding House accommodating approximately 50 regional and international boarders. The institution is governed by a School Council comprising parents, SCOGA (Old Girls' Association) representatives, and Anglican and Uniting Church nominees, operating under Christian educational principles.

The school's core educational technology is its hybrid learning model — the Independent Learning Tutorials (ILT) introduced for Years 10 and 11, which blends face-to-face instruction with online Masterclass lectures and asynchronous Flexi-Tutes. The Early Learning Centre applies a Reggio Emilia pedagogical approach. The weBelong wellbeing framework, structured around seven wellbeing pillars, is integrated from ELC through Year 12 (with academic deepening via a Swinburne University partnership). A signature Year 9 Critical Conversations program applies a Harkness-inspired dialogue model. Facilities include the Marigold Southey Sports & Aquatic Centre, the Jamie and Rebecca Gray Theatre, the Nicholas Library, the Edna Holmes Science Centre, and the new purpose-built Music School currently under construction as part of the Music Matters redevelopment.

Revenue is generated principally through termly tuition fees (subscription/recurring) at undisclosed price points across each year level, supplemented by boarding fees and international student fees (the school is a CRICOS provider, #00574F). Pricing is not publicly disclosed on the website. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through an admissions funnel comprising campus tours, open mornings, ELC discovery mornings, prospectus requests, and an online application process. Marketing is multi-channel: website content, weekly Blue Ribbon e-newsletter, events, an active SCOGA alumnae network, and social media. Workforce is reported at 251-500 employees. The school reported a 95.25 median ATAR in 2024 (the highest in its history), was ranked #1 girls' school in Victoria in 2021 and 2022, and VCE results have consistently ranked in the top 10 Victorian schools. Ms Natalie Charles was appointed as the 14th Principal in January 2025.

Name

St Catherine's School

Legal name

St Catherine's School

Website

https://stcatherines.net.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

St Catherine's School is an independent single-sex (girls) K-12 private school in Toorak, Melbourne, operating ELC through Year 12 plus a 50-bed boarding house, serving fee-paying families seeking academic excellence underpinned by a Christian heritage and ranked Victoria's #1 girls' school in 2021-2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Girls' K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Sex (Boys/Girls) Private Schools (EDAJABAK)

Keywords

• Girls private education
• K-12 schooling
• Early learning centre
• Boarding education
• School wellbeing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Toorak

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Core revenue from school fees across ELC, Junior School, and Senior School. Fees vary by year level and program.
2. Boarding Fees: Revenue from Illawarra Boarding House accommodating 50 regional and international boarders. Boarding services include casual boarding options.
3. International Student Fees: Revenue from international students including tuition, accommodation (homestay), and welfare services as per ESOS Framework.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St Catherine's School provides single-sex girls' education from the Early Learning Centre (ages 3-5) through Year 12, organised across its Junior School (Barbreck), Senior School, and Illawarra Boarding House. Core academic delivery is delivered via classroom teaching complemented by the Independent Learning Tutorials hybrid model in senior years, while holistic development is supported through the weBelong wellbeing framework and a broad co-curricular program. Revenue is generated from termly tuition fees, boarding fees for regional and international students, and fees for international students under CRICOS accreditation.

Product overview

St Catherine's School is a single-campus girls' school in Toorak, Melbourne, offering a comprehensive K-12 educational program from Early Learning Centre through to Year 12. The school operates through four main divisions: the Early Learning Centre (ages 3-5), Barbreck Junior School (Prep-Year 6), Senior School (Years 7-12), and Illawarra Boarding House. Core educational programs are supported by the weBelong Wellbeing framework and extensive co-curricular offerings including Sport, Music, Drama, and Visual Arts. Major facilities include the Marigold Southey Sports & Aquatic Centre, Jamie and Rebecca Gray Theatre, and a purpose-built Music School developed under the Music Matters campaign. The school recently introduced the Year 9 Ethical Leadership Program and an Independent Learning Tutorials hybrid learning model for senior years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• weBelong: Wellbeing@St Catherine's Program: Holistic wellbeing program providing personal, social, emotional and physical development
• Academic Care Model
• Independent Learning Tutorials (ILT)

Products and services

• Early Learning Centre (ELC) Early childhood education program for children aged 3-5, offered in Campbell House (The Ilhan Family Centre) using a Reggio Emilia-inspired and nature-based pedagogical approach. Operating Monday to Friday 8:45am-3:00pm with 3-day or 5-day attendance options (3yo or 4yo program). Rated 'Exceeding National Quality Standard' by ACECQA across 2013 and 2022.
• Barbreck Junior School Primary education for girls from Prep (age 5) through Year 6 at the dedicated 33 Heyington Place campus. Includes specialist programs in STEM, Languages (French), Music, and Physical Education, plus access to Before and After School Care through TeamKids. Focused on academic care, personalised learning and holistic development for girls.
• Senior School Secondary education for girls in Years 7-12 across the Heyington Place campus, with comprehensive academic curriculum, co-curricular programs, career counselling from Year 7, VCE preparation, and global exchange opportunities. Delivered through a hybrid of classroom teaching and the school's Independent Learning Tutorials model in Years 10-11.
• Illawarra Boarding House Boarding accommodation for approximately 50 regional and international students from Years 5-12, providing round-the-clock pastoral care, supportive study environment, community activities, and casual boarding options. Operated under a National Trust lease arrangement for the 1890s mansion property.
• Year 9 Ethical Leadership Program Signature Year 9 program developed in partnership with the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership, providing a two-week immersive residential experience at Narmbool near Ballarat. Encourages students to reflect on deeper truths about themselves and their role in society and develop ethical decision-making and leadership capability.
• Independent Learning Tutorials (ILT) Hybrid learning model for Years 10 and 11 that combines face-to-face teaching with online Masterclass lectures and asynchronous Flexi-Tutes, giving students control over the pace and timing of their learning. Available as a standalone delivery model for senior school students.
• International Student Program CRICOS-accredited (#00574F) international student program offering tuition, accommodation (homestay and boarding), welfare services, and English language (EAL) support for students from Years 5-12, delivered in compliance with the ESOS Framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked #1 girls' school in Victoria in 2021 and 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supportive, core and foundational.

• Driver Bus LinessupportiveChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate bus services provider operating two routes for St Catherine's students: Port Melbourne Service covering Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Middle Park, and St Kilda; and Brighton Service covering Brighton, North Brighton, Caulfield, and Armadale. School coordinates bookings and communicates schedules via DRIVER app.
• Panorama CoachessupportiveChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates four school bus runs from North and North Eastern suburbs via Kew to St Catherine's. Services include Kew Service 1 (Kangaroo Ground, Research, Eltham, Templestowe, Balwyn, Kew), Kew Service 2 (Diamond Creek, Greensborough, Montmorency, Lower Plenty, Viewbank, Rosanna, Eaglemont, Ivanhoe East, Kew), Kew Service 3 (Doreen, Laurimar, Mernda, South Morang, Bundoora, Darebin, Heidelberg, Alphington, Kew), and Kew Service 4 (Reservoir, Preston, Thornbury, Northcote, Brunswick East, Fitzroy North, Clifton Hill, Kew). Not coordinated through school.
• Bob StewartsupportiveChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniform supplier partnership. School uniforms can be purchased from Bob Stewart in East Malvern (150 Waverley Road) or online. Trading hours Monday-Wednesday, Friday 8.30am-5pm, Thursday 8.30am-6pm, Saturday 9am-1pm.
• Cranlana Centre for Ethical LeadershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Year 9 Ethical Leadership Program launched in 2025. Students participate in two-week immersive residential experience at Narmbool pastoral property near Ballarat. Program aims to encourage students to move beyond external pressures and connect with deeper truths about themselves and their role in society.
• National Trust of Australia (Victoria)supportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial leasing arrangement for Illawarra, an 1890s mansion adjacent to school campus, used as additional boarding house. Property owned by National Trust and leased/restored by school in 1998 for boarding purposes.
• SCOGA (St Catherine's Old Girls' Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumnae association providing networking, mentoring (SCOGA Mentor Program), reunions, and governance representation on School Council. Connects current students with alumnae for career guidance and community building.
• TeamKidssupportiveChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOut of School Hours Care provider operating from 7am until ELC starts (8.45am) and afternoons from 3pm until 6pm. Service located within ELC building (Piazza shared space) and available to all school students.
• Swinburne UniversitysupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Emotional Intelligence Resource Unit at Swinburne University enhances the wellbeing program through delivery of evidence-based emotional intelligence lessons from ELC Foundation programs through Year 12.
• Anglican and Uniting ChurchesfoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch affiliations represented on School Council. School founded on Christian principles and values. Reconciliation Action Plan acknowledges Traditional Owners and commitment to Christian education.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Haileybury: One of Australia's largest independent schools with multiple campuses (Keysborough, Brighton, Berwick) and a co-ed model including dedicated girls' schools (e.g. Haileybury Girls); operates at scale in the same premium Victorian private school market.
• Wesley College Melbourne: Established Melbourne independent co-ed school with multiple campuses (St Kilda Road, Glen Waverley, Elsternwick) serving the same premium family market, offering comparable facilities, co-curricular programs, and VCE pathways.

Direct peers

• Lauriston Girls' School: Independent girls' school in Hawthorn East offering ELC-Year 12; directly comparable single-sex, Toorak-adjacent proposition competing for similar high-income Melbourne families.
• Melbourne Girls Grammar: Premier independent girls' school in Melbourne offering ELC through Year 12 with boarding; competes head-to-head with St Catherine's for the same Toorak/South-East Melbourne family segment and on academic results tables.
• Fintona Girls' School: Independent non-denominational girls' school in Balwyn offering Prep-Year 12; directly competes in the Melbourne girls' education market with similar selective enrolment and academic positioning.
• Presbyterian Ladies' College (PLC Melbourne): One of Melbourne's most established elite girls' schools (Burwood), offering ELC-Year 12 with boarding; comparable in academic standing, heritage, and fee positioning to St Catherine's.
• Korowa Anglican Girls' School: Independent girls' school in Glen Iris (adjacent to Toorak) offering ELC-Year 12 with strong VCE results; directly competes for the same metropolitan Melbourne single-sex girls' market.
• Strathcona Girls Grammar: Independent girls' school across two campuses (Canterbury and Camberwell) offering ELC-Year 12; competes for the same Melbourne girls' education market segment.
• Mentone Girls' Grammar: Independent girls' school in Mentone (south-east Melbourne) with ELC-Year 12; shares market segment and was the prior school of St Catherine's new Principal Natalie Charles and Director of Teaching and Learning Lisa Hanlon, making it a closely watched benchmark.

Regional players

• Toorak College Mount Eliza: Independent girls' school on the Mornington Peninsula offering ELC-Year 12 with boarding; comparable single-sex girls' proposition but serves a different geographic catchment to St Catherine's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stcathsmelb

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 St Catherine's School