Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers, 

This week, we proudly celebrated a group of our Year 12 students who graduated from the ACU Step-Up program, having completed two university-level units in Business, Criminology, Nursing, and Exercise Science. These students now qualify for early university entry and receive credit towards their degrees—a powerful example of how students can accelerate their learning and open up real-world opportunities while still at school.

At St Luke’s Catholic College, we are committed to ensuring every student graduates with clarity, confidence, and direction. Our focus is on developing personalised post-school pathways that begin well before the final years of school—starting as early as Stage 3—so students are equipped to step into their futures with purpose.

We also partner with a range of universities, training organisations, and industry professionals across diverse areas. These partnerships support students in seeing what’s possible and give them real exposure to professional pathways well before graduation.

A timely reminder: over the next two weeks, both Year 8 and Year 10 students will have the opportunity to make key choices that begin shaping their individual learning journeys. These decisions—around elective subjects, VET courses, and early commencement HSC options—are the first steps in building a post-school pathway tailored to each student’s interests and goals.

Take, for example, several students in our current Year 12 cohort who began their pathways early:

• They completed a VET HSC course during Years 9 and 10,
• Commenced Design & Technology and Studies of Religion early in Years 10 and 11,
• Entered Year 11 with almost a third of their HSC already completed.

This approach gave them space to pursue tertiary studies during Year 11 and 12, accelerating their transition to university or TAFE and opening doors to a non-ATAR based pathway—a meaningful and recognised alternative to traditional models.

At the same time, the traditional HSC pathway remains a powerful option for many students. Over the past three years, our students have achieved exceptional results, with growing numbers of Band 6s, accelerated achievers, and early university offers. These outcomes are a testament to our strong academic programs, personalised support, and high expectations for every learner.

We also offer a wide range of alternative pathways including vocational education, portfolio-based HSC projects, accelerated subject options, and tertiary engagement without ATAR dependency. Each of these is designed to honour the diversity of our learners and help them succeed on their own terms.

At St Luke’s, the goal is for every student to graduate with a clear and personalised post-school plan. Through programs like Life Design, early commencement of the HSC, and support from dedicated Pathways Advisors, we help students explore who they are, what they can do, and what problems they can solve. We connect them with industry mentors and real-world experiences that reinforce the idea that “you can be what you can see.”

At St Luke’s, we believe:

Learning = Infinite Possibilities.

Kind Regards, 

Kelly Bauer