Catholic Education in the Diocese of Cairns

Catholic Education Services in the Diocese of Cairns is a dynamic and growing organisation that is actively inviting schools to co-create with us, schools that are places of rich learning for now and into the 22nd Century.

Our vision is to offer every student in every school a world class education enriched by their lived encounter with the Catholic Faith.

Catholic Education Services is committed to this vision through Co-Leadership with schools to build communities of learning that provide a safe, nurturing and academically challenging environment. Our schools are places where we create opportunities for every student and every staff member so that they are inspired to contribute to our society, innovate, explore possibilities, and achieve excellence. 

Catholic Education Services in the Diocese of Cairns embraces thirty (30) schools including twenty (20) primary schools, two (2) Prep to Year 12 colleges and eight (8) secondary colleges. One of these colleges is a Special Assistance College with campuses in Cairns, Cooktown, and Edmonton. This community also includes Catholic Education Services located in Cairns itself. Over the next five years there are two new schools planned.

All schools and colleges, except three, are within a two-hour drive of Cairns. Cooktown, Waibeni Island (Thursday Island) and Weipa are accessed by daily flights and located in some of the most beautiful parts of the country. In total, there are 11 500 students and 1500 staff.

Leadership and strategic management of Catholic Education Services is the responsibility of the Executive Director of Catholic Education. Through a team of professionals, and in Co-Leadership with principals, the Executive Director manages and facilitates a number of significant delegations which include:

• Support of the mission of the Church as delivered through Catholic Education
• Support of schools by providing services that strengthen school capacity
• Provision of leadership and forward planning to develop organisational capability
• Distribution to schools of government allocated funds and their accountability
• Monitoring quality of schools and compliance/accountability with requirements of governments, Church, and parents
• Within limits, provision of some centralised, specialised student services, where this is the most effective and efficient approach

Our staff are supported to experience success and satisfaction in their vital role. 

Cairns also offers many lifestyle opportunities that can be found in few other places and is surrounded by World Heritage listed areas including the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, all within an hour’s journey from the growing City of Cairns. It is the gateway to our Asian neighbours with direct flights to China, Japan and Singapore as well as having direct flights to all the east coast capital cities, Darwin, and Queensland’s Sunshine and Gold Coasts.