Armidale Catholic Schools

What Armidale Catholic Schools does

Armidale Catholic Schools is the systemic Catholic education provider operated by the Catholic Diocese of Armidale, delivering K-12 faith-based education across the New England and North West regions of New South Wales, Australia. The system comprises 24 schools — 19 primary, 1 K-10, 1 K-12 (expanding in 2026), and 3 secondary colleges (O'Connor Catholic College Armidale, McCarthy Catholic College Tamworth, St Mary's College Gunnedah) — serving approximately 6,000 students with a workforce of approximately 1,000 teaching and non-teaching staff across 19 towns. It is the second-largest geographically Catholic diocese in NSW, with school communities ranging from major regional centres to small rural and remote towns such as Mungindi and Walgett. The system is governed by the Armidale Catholic Schools Board under Bishop Peter Murphy, with Regina Menz serving as Director of Schools.

The operating model is delivered through a four-stage Compass Education self-service enrolment platform (Application, Review, Agreement, Enrolment), with fees varying by school based on socio-economic ranking. Core curriculum delivery rests on the Bishop-mandated Religious Education framework (Emmaus Story pedagogy), the system-wide Literacy and Numeracy portfolio (InitiaLit, MiniLit, MacqLit, Big Write/VCOP, MaST Mathematics Specialist Teachers, and the Great Mathematics Learning Sequence), and the Living Well, Learning Well student wellbeing framework underpinned by a Centacare New England North West counselling partnership. VET qualifications are delivered in collaboration with the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited and TAFE NSW, with School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships delivered through industry partners such as Hunter New England Health. A system-wide Data Ecosystem tracks literacy and numeracy outcomes to inform learning sprints, and 43 teachers have completed the BBI Cornerstones Religious Education accreditation pathway.

Revenue is derived from a combination of per-student government funding, socio-economically-tiered tuition fees, modest Bursary Grants ($815 per student in 2026 for 90 secondary students annually), supplementary activity charges, and parish contributions, with the Diocese underwriting no-denied-enrolment financial assistance. Financial figures are not publicly disclosed. Ancillary revenue and cost lines include relocation subsidies (up to $3,000) and study-fee reimbursements (up to 100% for Religious Education study, 50% for leadership/curriculum study) that function as talent acquisition infrastructure rather than commercial offerings.

Name

Armidale Catholic Schools

Legal name

Armidale Catholic Schools

Website

https://arm.catholic.edu.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Armidale Catholic Schools is a not-for-profit Catholic education system operating 24 K-12 schools across the New England and North West regions of NSW, serving approximately 6,000 students and employing about 1,000 staff under the Catholic Diocese of Armidale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Catholic Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), 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 education
• Primary secondary schools
• Vocational education training
• Religious education

Headquarters

HQ city

Armidale

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition fees: School fees are charged for primary, central and secondary schools. Fees vary from school to school depending on the socio-economic ranking of the area in which the school is located. Additional school-based charges apply for specific subjects, excursions or other activities.
2. Government funding: As a Catholic education system, Armidale Catholic Schools receives government funding per student enrolled across its 24 schools.
3. Bursary Grants: Bursary Grants of $815 per student provided annually to 90 secondary students on a needs basis, funded by the Diocese. These are applied against tuition fees for recipients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Armidale Catholic Schools operates 24 systemic Catholic schools (19 primary K-6, 1 K-10 central school, 1 K-12 central school, and 3 secondary colleges Years 7-12) across the New England and North West regions of NSW, Australia, educating approximately 6,000 students. The system delivers faith-based education from Kindergarten to Year 12, including religious education, literacy and numeracy programs, vocational education and training (VET), HSC preparation, and student wellbeing support through the Living Well, Learning Well framework.

Product overview

Armidale Catholic Schools is a system of 24 Catholic schools (19 primary K-6, 1 K-10 central school, 1 K-12 central school expanding in 2026, and 3 secondary schools Years 7-12) operating across the New England and North West regions of NSW. The system educates approximately 6,000 students and employs about 1,000 staff. Key products and services include: three standalone secondary colleges (O'Connor Catholic College, McCarthy Catholic College, St Mary's College Gunnedah); Holy Trinity School expanding to K-12 in 2026; VET qualifications in partnership with Diocese of Lismore; Living Well, Learning Well student wellbeing framework; literacy programs (InitiaLit, MiniLit, Big Write/VCOP); MaST mathematics enhancement program; Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education; Early Career Teacher Support; and a Bursary Grant Program supporting 90 students annually. The education system uses Compass Education for enrollment management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Living Well, Learning Well: A comprehensive K-12 Catholic education framework encompassing wellbeing, learning support, and student welfare practices across all 24 diocesan schools.
• InitiaLit
• MaST Project
• The Great Mathematics Learning Sequence

Products and services

• K-12 Catholic Education System Comprehensive K-12 Catholic education delivered across 24 systemic schools (19 primary, 1 K-10, 1 K-12, and 3 secondary) serving approximately 6,000 students across the New England and North West regions of NSW. Education is open to Catholic and non-Catholic families that support the ethos of Catholic education.
• O'Connor Catholic College Co-educational secondary college (Years 7-12) located in Armidale, organised around three pillars of learning: Faith, Innovation and Wellbeing.
• McCarthy Catholic College Co-educational secondary college (Years 7-12) in Tamworth continuing Dominican Sisters and Christian Brothers traditions with mission: Receive, Worship, Serve.
• St Mary's College Gunnedah Co-educational secondary college (Years 7-12) in Gunnedah following the Sisters of Mercy tradition, providing holistic Catholic education.
• Holy Trinity School Inverell Co-educational central school in Inverell founded on Sisters of Mercy and De La Salle Brothers traditions, expanding from K-10 to K-12 in 2026 with the first Year 11 cohort commencing.
• St Philomena's School Moree Co-educational K-10 school in Moree providing Catholic education in a caring, disciplined environment.
• Vocational Education and Training (VET) VET courses delivered in schools based on nationally recognised qualifications approved by NESA for credit towards the Record of School Achievement (RoSA) or Higher School Certificate (HSC). Includes Trade Training Centres, cross-campus delivery, Workplace Learning, School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs), EVET, and microcredentials, delivered in partnership with the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools for RTO services.
• Religious Education Curriculum Mandatory K-12 Religious Education curriculum mandated by the Bishop of Armidale, founded on Emmaus Story pedagogy with four stages: Making Sense, Gaining Access, Celebrating, and Responding. Includes Studies in Catholic Thought or Studies of Religion for Years 11-12.
• Literacy Programs System-wide literacy programs including InitiaLit (evidence-based K-2 program), MiniLit, Read3, and MacqLit for intervention, Big Write/VCOP methodology for writing, and Uninterrupted Literacy Block for daily explicit instruction.
• MaST (Mathematics Specialist Teacher) Project System-wide mathematics enhancement program with dedicated Mathematics Specialist Teachers in each school, supporting classroom teachers through coaching, professional learning teams, and implementation of the Great Mathematics Learning Sequence.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Program A three-armed approach encompassing Reconciliation, Cultural Identity, and Education, providing a framework for improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (15.4% of system enrollees) through culturally inclusive pedagogy.
• Living Well, Learning Well Framework A student support framework underpinned by contemporary research on pedagogy, inclusion, behaviour support, student voice, wellbeing and connection to school. Includes free and confidential counselling services delivered in partnership with Centacare New England North West across all 24 schools.
• Early Career Teacher Support Program Comprehensive support program for Early Career Teachers including accreditation workshops, an assigned early career coach, regular observations and feedback, co-planning and co-teaching support, and release time (2 hours per fortnight for first year, 1 hour for second year).
• Bursary Grant Program Financial assistance program providing Bursary Grants to 90 secondary students annually ($815 per student in 2026, CPI-indexed), funded by the Diocese and applied against tuition fees on a needs basis assessed against family income.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21 First in Course honours from 24 Catholic schools in the 2024 HSC examinations
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• UniSupermajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025UniSuper is the major sponsor of Catholic Schools Week, enabling significant staff and student representation from all 24 Diocesan schools to attend celebrations including masses, professional learning days, sporting events and awards ceremonies.
• Centacare New England North WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentacare New England North West provides qualified, caring school counsellors who support young people in each of the 24 schools across the school year. All students have access to this free and confidential counselling service individually and/or in small groups. In the event of a critical incident, Centacare deploys additional counsellors.
• Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArmidale Catholic Schools collaborates with the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited to offer vocational qualifications accredited by the Australian Qualifications Framework. VET courses are delivered in schools based on nationally recognised qualifications approved by NESA for credit towards the RoSA or HSC.
• Hunter New England HealthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHunter New England Health provides workplace training opportunities for students undertaking School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships. St Mary's College Gunnedah student Jedd Mansfield completed a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance as a school-based trainee with the organisation.
• TAFE NSWsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTAFE NSW delivers vocational education and training courses (eVET) available to students across the Diocese as an alternative to school-based VET delivery. Students access TAFE-based eVET courses as part of their HSC pathway.
• BBI - The Australian Institute of Theological EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBI-TAITE provides Cornerstones accreditation for Religious Education teachers. 43 teachers from across the Diocese graduated from the Cornerstones program, being accredited to teach Religious Education in Catholic schools.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NSW Department of Education: Operator of the public K-12 school system across NSW, including schools in the New England and North West regions. Directly competing for the same regional enrolments, with a broader portfolio and publicly funded operating model.
• Christian Schools Australia: National peak body representing Protestant and non-Catholic independent Christian schools across Australia. Comparable as a faith-based K-12 operating model, but serves a broader ecumenical constituency and operates at a national rather than regional level.

Direct peers

• Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst: Catholic systemic K-12 provider serving Western and Central Western NSW — a strong regional peer given overlapping geographic coverage of rural and remote NSW towns and similar Diocesan governance.
• Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta: Catholic K-12 systemic provider in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Comparable Diocesan governance model, K-12 scope, and NESA-aligned curriculum, though primarily serving metropolitan catchments.
• Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong: Catholic systemic K-12 provider in the Illawarra and Southern Highlands regions of NSW. Comparable Diocesan structure, regional presence, and faith-based K-12 operating model.
• Sydney Catholic Schools: Largest Catholic K-12 systemic provider in NSW, operating 150+ schools across the Sydney metropolitan area. Directly comparable as a Diocesan Catholic school system with shared funding model, NESA-accredited curriculum, and systemic governance structure, though materially larger and metropolitan-focused.
• Catholic Schools Office (Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle): Catholic systemic school provider for the Hunter region of NSW, operating a comparable K-12 portfolio across regional and rural communities. Highly comparable in mission, structure, government funding reliance, and regional/rural operating model.
• Broken Bay Catholic Schools: Diocese of Broken Bay's systemic Catholic schools serving the Central Coast and Northern Sydney regions. Comparable as a multi-school Catholic system with shared enrolment, wellbeing, and curriculum frameworks.

Others

• Catholic Schools NSW: Peak representative body for Catholic school systems across NSW, including advocacy, funding negotiations, and shared services (e.g., co-hosting the Aboriginal Education Conference). Not a competitor but a system-level coordinating peer.
• Independent Schools Australia: National peak body for independent schools in Australia. Adjacent peer organisation representing non-government school providers across the country, including faith-based systems comparable in funding and regulatory context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/arm.catholic.edu.au
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMKccvV_HAGWVv3WgPpT1YQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/arm.catholic.edu.au
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-schools-office-diocese-of-armidale
• Instagraminstagram.com/catholic_schools_armidale

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries24 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 Armidale Catholic Schools