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Learning
Learn to think independently, be adaptable and develop the skills needed to thrive and serve. Join our passionate school community, with 150 years of history delivering educational excellence and learning for life.
Academic Curriculum
Catherine McAuley College Bendigo provides a broad and challenging academic curriculum which fosters a passion for learning, develops independent, critical thinkers and focuses on excellence for all students.
Innovative Learners
We engage students in an integrated curriculum that is reflective of the skills that will be required for jobs of the future. Students learn to research, design and adapt to a range of real-world problems. Students develop their own learning strategies and processes so that they can adjust to new challenges, situations and curriculum. Above all, our students learn how to learn and how to be innovative.
PARTNERSHIPS
Applying Skills Beyond the Classroom
Community partnerships provide students with authentic and realistic learning which is critical to their development.
For instance, students learn about biology and agriculture in a working agriculture space, they learn about allied health in local hospitals and aged care through the iGEN program and partnerships with Mercy Health and the Australian Catholic University.
Supports and interventions
There are a range of targeted interventions to support students in developing their literacy and numeracy skills which see students gain confidence to collaborate more readily with their peers and to achieve success across their subjects. Interventions are regularly reviewed through ongoing assessment and feedback to ensure they effectively target individual and group needs.
Co-Curricular Learning
Co-curricular activities are encouraged at Catherine McAuley College Bendigo and offer students opportunities for personal growth, skill development, community connection and a further exploration of personal interests.
Music, debating, sports, performing arts, visual arts, academic competitions, justice camps, and the Frayne Speech Festival are examples of co-curricular opportunities on offer to appeal to the wide range of student interests.
Coolock Campus - Years 7 to 9
The future of work will be increasingly collaborative and global, so it is more important than ever for students to be able to interact and plan collaboratively. Through the junior and middle years programs, students are immersed in education that is inspiring, meaningful and connected.
Students focus on the concepts, knowledge and skills of English and Mathematics to continually develop the essentials of literacy and numeracy that underpin all other learning areas. Students undertake practical and applied learning opportunities through specialist subject areas such as Physical Education, Languages, Science, Technology and the Arts.
Students at CMCB experience a vibrant and enriching educational journey, filled with opportunity for growth and meaningful encounters. The curriculum is thoughtfully structured to ensure that students engage with essential concepts and develop enduring understandings through purposeful, relevant, and rigorous learning experiences. This allows students to develop a deeper understanding of the content and develop critical thinking, problem solving, and transferable skills; empowering students to become lifelong learners who are prepared to thrive in an ever-changing world.
STEAM
Employment opportunities in the fields of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) are increasing rapidly, as is the need for workers who have combinations of these skills. Our Coolock Campus has a dedicated STEAM space that enables students to apply and develop their skills. Students learn to use a range of modern equipment, including drones, 3D printers, laser cutters and design spaces and they make use of their knowledge in a range of applications during their studies.
Sports Development Program - NEW in 2026!
FOOTBALL & NETBALL
The inaugural CMCB Sports Development Program will launch in 2026. Through participation in this sports-based program, students will gain skills and knowledge to develop their overall ability to play their selected sport and contribute to their local community. The program runs for the full year and applicants need to re-apply each year. The program is timetabled during the school day just like other classes.
Instrumental Music Program
Every Year 7 student at Catherine McAuley College Bendigo participates in a semester-long instrumental program as a part of classroom music. This involves weekly lessons on a brass, woodwind or percussion instrument from a specialist teacher. The College provides students with an instrument to use during the program.
Agriculture and Animal Care
The Coolock Campus hosts a dedicated Trade Training Centre, focused on developing students’ skills in Agriculture and Animal Care. Students engage in these programs at a range of year levels, including having the option of completing senior certificates in Years 10 to 12.
St Mary’s Campus - Years 10 to 12
In the senior years, students select from a wide range of electives across multiple learning areas to give them the best opportunity to succeed as graduates, with pathways to further study, apprenticeships and employment. In Years 11 and 12 students work towards obtaining the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM). As our St Mary’s Campus includes Years 10 to 12, most Year 10 students take advantage of accelerating, with more than fifty VCE or VET subjects on offer.
With the support of teachers and parents, students are able to design and map out a pathway from Years 10 - 12 that gives them the best opportunity to succeed as graduates, whether their successful pathway is to tertiary study, apprenticeships or employment.
Students have the option to study a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or Vocational Education and Training (VET) subject starting in Year 10, as part of their 3-year senior pathway, with more than 50 options to choose from. In completing this study, students not only gain additional credits to their Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) but also develop skills in how to approach their learning and study to perform at their best during their final years of education.
Up to six subjects can count towards the ATAR, but traditionally only five are studied during Year 12. Therefore, it is an advantage for students to accelerate in a subject at Year 10.
Another option open to students whose needs may not be met by VCE is the Victorian Certificate of Education Vocational Major. This pathway is designed to be completed over a minimum of 2 years. This pathway prepares students to move into apprenticeship, traineeships, further education and training, university (via non-ATAR pathways) or directly into the workforce. Repeated below VCE VM
Our 3-year senior learning pathways, combined with the resources and wellbeing support available to all students, are designed to create success for our graduates and equip them to thrive in a rapidly-changing world.
St Mary’s Campus Tours
Call to arrange a personal tour and find out about the choice of pathways and wide range of VCE, VCE VM and VET subjects on offer.
Contact the College Registrar, Mrs Audra Petri, to find out more.
P: 5445 9100 E: apetri@cmc.vic.edu.au
Senior Years 3-Year Pathways
DOWNLOAD BOOKLET
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
Our College offers a wide range of VCE subjects and we celebrate strong student achievement and personal growth. Students typically undertake VCE in Year 11 and 12, however many Year 10 students accelerate to undertake the challenge and learning of VCE. Our staff are committed to encouraging students to achieve their personal best and working through their learning journey with them.
VCE Vocational Major (VM)
The VCE Vocational Major (VM) is a vocational and applied learning program within the VCE designed to be completed over a minimum of two years. The VCE VM gives students choice and flexibility to pursue their strengths and interests and to develop the skills and capabilities needed to succeed in further education, work and life. It prepares students to move into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and training, university (via non-ATAR pathways) or directly into the workforce.
The purpose of the VCE VM is to provide students with the best opportunity to achieve their personal goals and aspirations in a rapidly changing world by:
- equipping them with the skills, knowledge, values and capabilities to be active and informed citizens, lifelong learners and confident and creative individuals; and
- empowering them to make informed decisions about the next stages of their lives through real-life workplace experiences.
Applied learning teaches skills and knowledge in the context of ‘real life’ experiences. Students apply what they have learnt by doing, experiencing and relating acquired skills to the real world.
Students can also include other VCE studies and VET and can receive structured workplace learning recognition.
VCE Vocational Education and Training (VCE VET)
VET programs are vocational studies approved by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) as appropriate for senior secondary school students. VET programs lead to nationally recognised qualifications, thereby offering students the opportunity to gain a VCE or VCE VM and a nationally accredited vocational education and training certificate upon completion of their secondary studies.
VET programs are fully recognised within both our senior pathways, VCE and VCE VM, and contribute towards the satisfactory completion of VCE with weight equal to traditional VCE subjects. Only Units 3 and 4 contribute towards VCE study scores and not all VET studies have an attached score towards the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
Catherine McAuley College Bendigo offers the following VET certificates from Year 10.
- Cert II Agriculture
- Cert III Allied Health Assistance
- Cert II Animal Studies
- Cert II Automotive Studies
- Cert III Beauty Services
- Cert II Building and Construction
- Cert III Business
- Certificate III Community Services
- Cert II Cookery
- Cert III Early Childhood Education and Care
- Cert II Electrotechnology
- Cert II Engineering Studies
- Cert III Sport and Recreation
- Certificate II Visual Arts
Subject Pathways 2026
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iGEN Intergenerational Learning
iGEN Learning is an intergenerational program embedded in the Religious Education curriculum at Catherine McAuley College Bendigo (CMCB), primarily for Year 10 students.
Inspired by the Mercy charism, this semester-long initiative aims to challenge perspectives on personal growth, dismantle age-related stereotypes, and connect education with real-world vocations.
The program brings together students and residents from aged care or senior living communities to engage in mutually beneficial activities, projects, and events – fostering purpose, helpfulness, motivation, and fulfilment.
As ministries of Mercy, CMCB and Mercy Health partnered with Australian Catholic University to create this innovative and unique intergenerational program, combining secondary education with aged care and senior living communities.
iGEN Learning Booklet
Download Booklet
Subject Selection
Subject selection in Term 3 is an exciting time as students explore a range of pathway options. Students are encouraged to take the time to explore the variety of resources available to help them gain further information about the subjects which will suit them best, thinking about their interests, abilities, capabilities and values. Where possible, we recommend students observe adults at work and consider which careers would suit them. The selection process involves talking to parents/carers, teachers, mentors, careers staff, adults in the workforce and tertiary institutions.
Especially when moving into the senior years of schooling, it is critical to make informed choices about course and subject options. Catherine McAuley College Bendigo recommends students select subjects which will be a challenge, require hard work inside and outside class time, support their passions and open as many options as possible for the future.
Learning Diversity
Learning Diversity Team
Catherine McAuley College Bendigo’s Learning Diversity Team is dedicated to assisting students with additional needs to experience success and achieve their personal best. A range of support methods are employed to help students who may have language and/or cognitive difficulties, physical disabilities and specific emotional and/or social needs. The team is located at both campuses and includes specialist teachers and learning tutors in consultation with classroom teachers and the College Wellbeing Team.
Additional support for transition includes extra transition experiences, parent meetings, consultation with Grade 6 teachers, discussions with health professionals, examination of diagnostic reports, and development of the Personal Learning Plan (PLP).
Funding for students with additional needs
Some students with additional needs may qualify for funding. Funded students will have a support team in place, which includes classroom teachers, parents, year level leaders, learning tutors and learning mentors. The group devises a Personal Inclusion Profile (PIP) with the aim of allowing students to achieve personal success through a strengths-based approach.
In the Catholic Education System, students may be funded within the following areas: Social/Emotional, Hearing Loss, Vision Impairment, Health Impairment/Chronic Illness, Intellectual Disability, Language Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Pathways for all students
Catherine McAuley College Bendigo offers a broad range of subjects and program pathways to cater for students with additional needs. As students advance through the College, there are more choices available, from elective choices in Year 8 to planning VCE or VCE VM pathways in Years 10 to 12. VET subjects are also available, which develop skills that carry through to the workplace. The College is committed to working closely with students and parents, to work towards each student’s personal success in life beyond school.
Data and Testing
Data is one of the most powerful tools to inform, engage, and create opportunities for students with their learning. Data is much more than test scores. Data gives us insight and helps us make connections that lead to improvements.
At Catherine McAuley College Bendigo, new students and Year 7 students are all tested upon enrolment, which allows teachers to best prepare for their needs in the classroom.
All students are continuously tested using various tests and platforms. Teachers at Catherine McAuley College Bendigo use data to collaborate and develop informed and differentiated lessons for every student.
The types of tests used at Catherine McAuley College Bendigo are:
- National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)
- Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT)
- Renaissance Star Reading
- Essential Assessment
Understanding Data and Testing
Read NowCareers
Catherine McAuley College Bendigo has a comprehensive careers and vocational counselling service, which provides information, advice and support for students, parents and carers.
Our goal is to assist students develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that will enable them to be resilient, persistent, adaptable, flexible, and enterprising and have the capability to manage their own career throughout their lives.
Careers services provided by the College include:
- career counselling
- career coaching/education/planning
- employment services/job placement/ teaching job hunting strategies
- resume and cover letter preparation
- coordinating work education, school based apprenticeships
- administering and interpreting vocational assessment
- subject selection advice
- course information
The Careers staff at Catherine McAuley College have formal postgraduate careers qualifications, are members of the Careers Industry Council of Australia and comply with the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners. Our programs are developed in line with the Victorian Careers Curriculum Framework.
Careers Expo
