No. You just need to submit One application. If you are unsuccessful in gaining a Year 5 position, your information will be held on file for the Year 7 intake. Enrolments will contact you before we commence this process.
St Edmund’s has been educating the young men of Ipswich since 1892. While we are now a school that caters to students from Year 7 to Year 12, prior to 1988, our College also catered to primary-age students. After careful consideration, and a two-year process, we are pleased to announce the reintroduction of Years 5 and 6, commencing in 2025.
This is a significant milestone in the College's history. The Junior School will offer unique academic, co-curricular, and pastoral care programs. The students will have access to a variety of experiences in the classroom, sports and cultural activities, service and faith, enabling them to develop the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in today's world. The St Edmund's Junior School will provide a supportive environment for the young men to prepare them for a seamless transition to secondary education.
The Year 5 and 6 students will have access to a purpose-designed Junior School precinct, which includes classrooms and play areas. The Junior School will be a smaller, close-knit community that provides younger boys with a rigorous and inspiring educational experience.
To answer any questions you may have, we have created some Frequently Asked Questions below that we will update regularly as more details are available. We will also keep you informed as we approach 2025.
Applications for Years 5 and 6 in 2025 are now OPEN and will be CLOSED on 21 January 2024. Please complete the Online Application Form.
If you want to register your son for Year 5 2026 and beyond, please complete the Online Application Form.
This is an exciting new chapter for St Edmund's. We are and always will be dedicated to providing a well-rounded, inclusive Catholic education in the Edmund Rice Tradition for all our young men.
No. You just need to submit One application. If you are unsuccessful in gaining a Year 5 position, your information will be held on file for the Year 7 intake. Enrolments will contact you before we commence this process.
The Ipswich and surrounding regions are amongst Australia's fastest-growing populations. St Edmund’s College (SEC) is reintroducing Years 5 and 6 to address increasing demand and offer a genuine choice for boys’ education.
Young people in the twenty-first Century need to be intellectually flexible and agile. They will need to be competent in literacy and numeracy as well as have the skills to communicate and problem-solve. They will also need to be innovative and creative lifelong learners. At St Edmund’s we focus on a holistic approach to education. Experiences and opportunities at Eddies' will allow our young men to develop their talents and skills in a supportive and caring environment. Our young men will learn in a nurturing yet challenging setting that will prepare them for a seamless transition to secondary schooling.
Positions for 112 students will be available at St Edmund’s in 2025 (56 in Year 5 and 56 in Year 6). These students will learn in a purpose-designed Junior School precinct located on the main campus at 16 Mary Street, Woodend. Each Year level will contain two classes of a maximum 28 students.
By introducing Years 5 and 6 in 2025, we will have adequate time to build specialist facilities, appoint outstanding teachers and prepare for our Junior School's academic, co-curricular and pastoral care programs. This will ensure the best possible educational offering for our students.
St Edmund’s is approved and registered to offer education from Years 5 to 12. We are not considering offering Prep to Year 4.
Depending on demand we will welcome up to 56 students in Year 6 in 2025. After 2025, we will have student intakes in Year 5 and Year 7. Places in Year 6 will be offered only if they become available.
The College determines the school fee schedule late in the year prior to fees taking effect.
School fees are all-inclusive, covering all tuition, camps, retreats and excursions as well as the College One-to-One Laptop program.
The Junior School fees for 2025 will be $6,500. For students enrolled in Year 5 in 2025, the introductory fee level will be maintained for Year 6 in 2026.
Parents need to be prepared for the increase in school fees for Year 7 and beyond.
Yes, a sibling discount is available – please see the Fee Schedule
We are a well-resourced and long-established school with excellent facilities. Our Year 5 and 6 students will have their lessons in newly completed, airconditioned and purpose-designed classrooms on our campus at 16 Mary Street, Woodend.
They will also be able to learn in specialist rooms for science, art, drama and music and will have a dedicated play area. Additionally, our tuckshop, The Chandlery (our library), swimming pool, sports centre and sporting fields will be used by our Junior School students.
The Junior School facilities will be completed in time for the introduction of Years 5 and 6 at the start of 2025.
Yes, as a school that caters to boys from Years 5 to 12 all our facilities are for the use of all our students. These will include among others, specialist classrooms, The Chandlery (our library), creative art spaces, our swimming pool, sporting fields and nearby green spaces.
Year 5 and 6 students will follow a core curriculum of English, Mathematics, Science, Technologies, Humanities and Social Sciences. Classroom teachers will teach these subjects, and their expertise and experience will support students’ academic development. All students will study a language, Visual Arts, Music, Physical Education and Drama. Specialist teachers will teach these subjects.
In addition to camps and excursions, our Year 5 and 6 students will participate in a sequential formation and wellbeing program known as Eddies Man Can (EMC).
St Edmund’s College is governed by Edmund Rice Education Australia Colleges Limited. Leadership of the College is delegated to the Principal, Mr Ray Celegato and the Junior School will have a dedicated Director of Junior Schooling.
Yes, qualified Junior School teachers will be employed as core classroom teachers. They will offer an expert and highly supportive model of education to our Junior School students in alignment with the Australian Curriculum.
No, the College operates a One-to-One Laptop Program. Included as part of your fees, the College provides a device to support learning.
Yes, as part of a holistic education Years 5 and 6 will have the opportunity to build skills by participating in a wide-ranging co-curricular offering, including:
Yes. It’s important for our young men to feel a sense of belonging. Our House pastoral system is one of the important foundational experiences at Eddies'. Each new student is placed in one of our eight (8) Houses, Ambrose, Callan, Elliott, Finn, Ignatius, Morgan, Rice and Treacy.
Houses are led by a Pastoral Dean who will be your primary contact point regarding any pastoral concerns and will follow your son’s journey for the duration of this time with us.
Yes. Pastoral care for all students in Years 5 to 12 is provided through our vertically streamed House system. Each house is comprised of six (6) homeroom groups and new students are assigned a homeroom group within a House for the duration of their journey at Eddies'.
This vertical approach makes sure our young men are known, encouraged and well-advised by their Homeroom teacher who will be with them for their time at the College.
Each House (during pastoral group time and weekly house assemblies) has its own way of encouraging active contribution to College life as well as cooperation and peer mentoring amongst the students. This builds in the boys a growing sense of belonging and ownership.
Yes. Orientation activities will certainly be available to students and families prior to commencing in the Junior School. These activities will also provide opportunities for families to meet one another and members of the Junior School staff.
Students entering St Edmund’s as part of a Year 7 intake will participate in the Eddies’ Rookies program.
The Eddies’ Rookies program is held each Term on a Friday afternoon at the College and includes an Orientation Day at the end of Term 3. The program is for students in Year 6 who have accepted an enrolment for the following year. Activities such as Science, Creative Arts, Sports, Manual Arts and some classroom lessons on Orientation Day will be included as part of the Rookies program.
On Rookies afternoons, while the boys enjoy activities, parent information sessions will also run, allowing parents to meet College Staff and learn more about their son’s journey at St Edmund’s.
The aim is to have Rookies experience elements of Eddies' life before they commence at the College as well as to introduce and prepare them and their families for their transition to secondary school. The more prepared students and their families are for the move, the more successful the transition will likely be.
Yes. Students in Years 5 and 6 will have access to a range of leadership opportunities, both within their core class groups and across the Junior School and throughout our pastoral and leadership programs.
Yes. Although the Junior School will be distinct from the secondary school, the Years 5 and 6 students will interact with the secondary students in Pastoral/House groups, assemblies and sporting and co-curricular activities.
They will also have opportunities to interact and work with older students under the supervision of pastoral teachers.
The school day hours will be the same as the secondary school 8:30 am – 2:45 pm.
There is no before or after-school care available. Staff are on duty from 8:00 am until school commences and after school until 3:15 pm. The Chandlery (the Library) is open until 3:30 pm (Monday and Friday) and 4:00 pm (Tuesday - Thursday).
The Junior School uniform will be the current St Edmund’s College uniform. The Summer uniform will consist of a blue shirt, grey shorts or long trousers, grey socks and black leather shoes with jackets and pullovers added for winter. For Physical Education, students will need to wear their House Shirt, College shorts and trainers. Each AIC sport will have a dedicated kit to be worn for fixtures.
All uniform and apparel items (except shoe) may be obtained from the College uniform Shop (see the Uniform Shop page for opening times)
Junior School students will not only be placed in a class group of a maximum of 28 students but also in a Homeroom group within one of the Pastoral Houses. Relationships will be formed, and our boys will be known by their core class teacher, Homeroom teacher and Pastoral Dean.
While core class teachers will change from year to year, both the Homeroom teacher and Pastoral Dean will remain a constant part of your son’s journey.
At the moment, we are still in the early stages of planning all of the academic, pastoral and wellbeing programs for Years 5 and 6 student.
At the end of the school day students will be dismissed from class. From there students will make their way to where parents/caregivers have arranged for them to be collected or to one of the bus stop locations.
The safety of our students is paramount. Our campus is currently divided into 18 yard duty areas with a staff member allocated to supervise each area.
Year 5 and 6 will have a dedicated supervised area where they can eat and play as well as use Morgan oval which is supervised.
Yes, we will have a “Rookies” like program for the incoming Year 5 students before commencing. These activities will also provide opportunities for families to meet one another and members of the Junior School staff.
Yes, as this is the first year of Year’s 5 and 6 both Year 5 and Year 6 students will be paired up with a “Big Brother”.
Situations where younger students can interact with older students will be supervised e.g homeroom, sports days, assemblies etc.
We cannot guarantee what students will or will not hear in any given situation. We have high expectations about behaviour and work with all our young men to be respectful and mindful around younger students.
Should parents have any concerns, we would encourage them to contact the Director of Junior Schooling or their son’s Pastoral Dean.
Staff are on duty until 3:15 pm. The Chandlery (the Library) is open until 3:30 pm (Monday and Friday) and 4:00 pm (Tuesday - Thursday).
There are currently programs in Years 7-12 that caters to extending high-performing students. This will also be the case for Years 5 and 6.
Tutorial assistance will be available to all Junior School students and is included in the school fees. Further details about tutoring and the schedule will be released in 2024.
We encourage parental engagement. We believe in the Eddies' Team, parents and caregivers, staff and students all creating the environment where our young men can have the best opportunity to succeed. Our partnership with parents and caregivers greatly enriches our College community.
You will be able to connect with other families through a variety of social and informational events.
While there will be limited opportunities for parental involvement in Junior School classrooms, parents will be encouraged to participate in their son’s schooling and the Eddies' community through the Parent & Friends Association, community events and other volunteering opportunities.
Yes, engagement through the Parent & Friends Association is open to all parents. There are also community events that occur during the year that parents and caregivers are encouraged to attend.
The College will update this website page with additional information relevant to Years 5 and 6 as it is confirmed.
The Enrolments Department will contact parents about all enrolment-related matters, as is current practice for entry into Year 7.
All families who have applied for Year 7 2026 and 2027 should have received an email from the College advising them of the process they need to take to change their application.
If you have not received this email, please contact the Enrolments Department on Ph: 07 3810 4590 or email enrolments@sec.qld.edu.au.
The Enrolments Department will share key dates that highlight the process for the cohorts immediately impacted by the introduction of Years 5 and 6. This will include the anticipated dates for issuing offers.
If you receive an offer for Year 5 and then decide that you would prefer your son to commence at the College in Year 7, we will move his application to Year 7. Unfortunately, placement in Year 7 cannot be guaranteed.
Year 5 applicants who do not receive an offer will be moved to Year 7 entry.
Offers for Years 5 and 6 2025 will be emailed to families early in Term 2 2024. We will have two major rounds of offers – this will enable families to make the right decision for their son.
There is no immediate action required by families. The Enrolments Department will contact all families with an enrolment application for Year 7 2028 and beyond in the first half of 2024.
Enrolments will email families a ‘Year Level Selection Form’, on which families can indicate their preferred Year of entry—either Year 5 or Year 7.
If you receive an offer for Year 5 and then decide that you would prefer your son to commence at the College in Year 7, your application will be held over; however, placement is not guaranteed.
No, as all student enrolment applications are considered individually according to our Enrolment Policy.
Once an application is submitted and processed by the Enrolments Office, families will be advised if they have been successful in gaining an interview at the College. Families will then be invited to book an interview time at the College.
Offers for Years 5 2026 will be emailed to families mid-year 2024.
We will have two major rounds of offers – this will enable families to make the right decision for their son.
Offers will continue to be issued until a cohort is at full capacity. It is difficult to predict whether this will happen after first-round offers or if subsequent rounds will be needed - each cohort is different.
If you have not yet submitted an enrolment application and are interested in enrolling your son in Years 5 or 6 in 2025, please submit an Expression of Interest via our website by 31 October 2023. We will then be in touch with you to invite you to submit an enrolment application shortly after.
All families are welcome to submit an application for Years 5 to 12 via the Online Application Form on our website.
Please contact our Enrolments Department on email enrolments@sec.qld.edu.au or Phone 07 3810 4590.