Welcome to Coolock Campus

We are delighted that your family has chosen Catherine McAuley College Bendigo for your child’s secondary education journey. Starting Year 7 is an exciting milestone, and we are committed to making the transition to secondary school a positive, supportive, and enriching experience for every student.

This first Transition Update contains important information to help you and your child prepare for Year 7 in 2027 and begin to feel connected to our College community. We look forward to meeting you and your child during our upcoming Transition Interviews in August and September. Further details about these interviews and other transition activities can be found below.

At Catherine McAuley College Bendigo, we take great care in getting to know each student so that we can support their learning, wellbeing, and sense of belonging from the very beginning. To assist with a smooth and successful transition to Year 7, we gather information in four key ways:

• Enrolment application forms
• Transition interviews
• Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT)
• Information shared by current Year 6 teachers and NCCD Coordinators

During Term 3, our Year 7 Coordinators and Learning Diversity Leader will visit our Catholic feeder primary schools to meet with Year 6 teachers and learn more about each student’s strengths, interests, and support needs. For students coming from government schools or other educational settings, we will connect directly with their schools to ensure we have the information needed to support a successful start at Coolock Campus.

We also encourage you to review the information below regarding the Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT), which will take place in September. These assessments, together with information gathered through transition interviews and school consultations, help us develop a comprehensive learning and wellbeing profile for each student.

The more we know about our incoming Year 7 students, the better prepared we are to create learning experiences, pastoral care structures, and opportunities that enable every young person to thrive and serve. Our goal is that each student feels known, valued, and supported from their first day at CMCB.

Throughout the remainder of this year and into early 2027, a range of transition events will provide opportunities for students and families to become familiar with our college and learn more about the support available to help students flourish academically, socially, and emotionally.

We wish your child every success as they continue their Year 6 journey and look forward to warmly welcoming your family to the Catherine McAuley College Bendigo community.