Formerly St Joseph’s Schools, our new name, Saints College, distinguishes our flexible learning schools and reinforces our commitment to our core values and mission. It honours our Catholic roots while resonating deeply with our young people and communities.
The Saints name symbolises strength, unity, and the shared journey of growth. The familiar circle logo—carried over from our previous branding—represents the diversity of our young people, the interconnectedness of our community, and celebrates the unique qualities each individual brings to our learning environment.
The new Saints brand encompasses our parent brand, Saints Education, which includes Saints College, Saints Knowledge Institute and Saints Early Years. As our Saints family grows in the coming years, this unified brand will strengthen the connection across all entities within our network.
Saints College is privileged to walk alongside young people aged 12-25 who are seeking an alternative to mainstream education in a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment. Saints College is part of Edmund Rice Education Australia, Victorian Schools Ltd.
Saints College empowers young people through personalised educational programs that are centred around the Victorian Curriculum, the Victorian Certificate of Education Vocational Major (VCE VM), VPC (Victorian Pathways Certificate), and Vocational Education and Training (VET). The school also offers outreach educational opportunities, an extensive excursion program and outdoor education
The school does not have any fees, or any costs for books, excursion or VET programs, and young people are provided a Myki so that they can easily access school via public transport. An important part of our school is that we spend time eating meals together that are prepared by cooks on site at each campus. Young people can eat breakfast, morning tea and lunch at school each day, and there are also take-home packs for any young person or family who would welcome this.
We have physical sites in North Melbourne, Geelong, Colac, Fitzroy North, Sunshine, Ballarat and Bungaree, and a dual-engagement program called BlendED.
Our online campus BlendED allows young people to complete their learning in a virtual environment from home but ensures that young people are provided face-to-face support via a youth worker who visits them at home or in the community. BlendED provides a modern learning environment, ensuring accessibility and flexibility.
Saints College enables young people, their families and key adults, staff, and community members, to experience and value critical awareness of justice through the practices and culture of the school.
We advocate for our young people to experience liberation in their own lives through consultative and common ground experiences, including a commitment to the voice of young people in decisions impacting them at school. Saints College establishes this culture through a framework called ‘Operation by Principles’ that uses four principles: Respect, Honesty, Participation and Safe and Legal, to guide all our interactions and decisions within the school community.
We champion the creation of a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive community, dedicated to ensuring everyone feels genuinely welcomed and valued.
We steadfastly prioritise the establishment of a secure and nurturing environment, placing the wellbeing of all community members at the forefront of our commitment.
We uphold the highest legal standards, ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations to safeguard the rights and interests of our community.
We are dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve their fullest potential through personalised education.
We embrace innovative approaches that foster continuous improvement in education, operations, support, relationships, and service users.
We actively foster and nurture meaningful connections within our community, cultivating an environment built on transparency, openness, and integrity.
We respect, support, build and strengthen all our relationships.
At the heart of the Saints College narrative resides a legacy defined by resilience and adaptability.
St Joseph’s North Melbourne, opened as a Special Assistance School in January 2012, following a long and rich history as St Joseph’s College which ran on the site from 1903 through until 2010. Now known as Saints College, our school is part of Edmund Rice Education Australia, Victorian Schools Ltd. Originating from humble roots in North Melbourne, our schools have evolved into dynamic hubs, positioned as pivotal launch points for innovative programs that extend their impact throughout Australia.
Today, Saints College continues to endure, adapt and thrive. The BlendED program provides young people with quality education in a virtual setting, complemented by extensive in-person, holistic wellbeing support. This innovative educational approach is bringing positive transformation to the teaching landscape. The Saints College legacy extends far beyond walls, touching lives and impacting people nationwide.
