Armidale Catholic Schools is excited to announce that Holy Trinity School, Inverell will be expanding to include year 11 & 12. The first year 11 cohort will commence in 2026 with the first year 12 class finishing the HSC in 2027.
The school community has long advocated for the benefits of providing year 11 and 12 students with the same high-quality contemporary Catholic education that they receive in K–10. The 2-year continuation of Catholic education will strengthen
students’ ongoing connection and sense of belonging to their familiar Catholic school-parish community.
“It is such an exciting time for our system and the Inverell community to offer this choice to our young people and their families. Holy Trinity is well set up to offer stage 6 education, with outstanding facilities, great staff and a supportive community for students to finish their education in a Catholic context.” Director of Schools, Regina Menz
With overwhelming community support for expansion, Armidale Catholic Schools aims to provide students with the continuity of high-quality Catholic education. Holy Trinity students will now have the opportunity to complete their secondary education in an inclusive community that strengthens the faith, learning and wellbeing outcomes of every young person.
Principal, Jillian Rainger said; “I’m really excited for this opportunity for our school, it will be a privilege to see our students continue to grow with Catholic education for the last two years of their schooling”
Research clearly indicates that students can lose on average three months of learning as a result of transitions. (Brown, 2004; Franklin & Glascock, 1996; Hattie, 2018 in: Hanrahan (2020) Research Paper K-12 Learning Communities) The more grade levels that a school services the better students perform.
School Performance Leader, Jason Hanrahan said “We had really strong parental support for this expansion. The research shows by having less transitions throughout schooling our students do better in terms of their wellbeing and their learning.”
By accessing improved learning and life opportunity pathways, the Armidale Catholic Schools system is opening up the world of further study and training for many students and their families. They will be able to provide flexible and creative pathways for their young people to access tertiary study.
Director of Schools Regina Menz says, “The expansion of Holy Trinity allows us to promote many different learning pathways that will support our young people to realise a hope filled future”
Holy Trinity School currently provides Vocational Education Training (VET) and with the expansion, the full certificate qualification will be able to be delivered. School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBAT) are now a possibility for students with the ability to continue into Years 11 and 12. There are also opportunities for early commencement of VET courses and Certificate III opportunities, which lead to additional pathways into tertiary study.
The expansion will help to further develop Holy Trinity’s inclusive culture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff and families. It will continue to enhance quality educational outcomes for all students and enhance school, parent, parish and community partnerships. It is also set to enhance staff retention and recruitment due to the potential to teach stage 6 classes for secondary teachers.
This project is supported and approved by Monsignor Edward Wilkes and the Armidale Catholic Schools Board. The official announcement to the school community took place on Wednesday 24th July.
We spoke with Regina Menz (Director of Schools), Jilly Rainger (School Principal) and Jason Hanrahan (School Performance Leader) about the planning and decision to expand the school, offering Catholic Education from Kindergarten to Year 12.
For Media Inquiries please contact:
Armidale Catholic Schools
Tahnee Denton, Communications & Marketing Coordinator
0418 227 376, tdenton@arm.catholic.edu.au
