A turning of the sod ceremony signalled the start of an exciting new chapter for St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School at Stratford with a $6.4 million development set to transform the school.
The stage one building project will involve demolishing the existing end-of-life multipurpose facility and constructing a new two-storey building. The ground floor will include administration offices, staff amenities, and a multi-purpose space. The first floor will feature four general learning areas (GLAs), shared collaboration zones, amenities, breakout spaces, and access to external decks. Additional soft and hard landscaping works will also be undertaken.
Principal Joel Brayshaw said staff, students and the school and parish community were thrilled to see the project commence.
“The new building will allow St Patrick’s to support the growing number of student enrolments and provide state-of-the-art facilities for students to grow and learn,” he said.
“It is our hope that this new building will foster a community of staff and student collaboration and engagement that will lead to improved student learning outcomes for all.”
Chief planning and infrastructure officer for Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL), Mr Dermot Cannon, said the project was a significant infrastructure investment for the St Patrick’s Primary School and parish community.
“It is a testament to the commitment and vision of DOSCEL and the school and parish community to provide excellent education opportunities to families in the growing Stratford district,” he said.
The stage one building project is supported by a $3.6M grant provided by the Australian Government’s Capital Grants Program (CGP) which is allocated through the Victorian Catholic Education Authority Block Grant Authority (BGA).
“DOSCEL and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School are most grateful to the Australian Government for its support and recognition of the importance of Catholic school capital infrastructure in our diocese through these grants,” Mr Cannon said.
The project is being led by Crosier Scott Architects and Eastern Victoria Construction Group (EVCG). The project is planned for completion in March 2027.
