12 February 2026

As the number of families looking for Catholic education grows in Melbourne’s west, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) is working to meet the needs of the community. Two new schools have opened in 2026 – St Marianne Cope Catholic Parish Primary School, Mount Atkinson, and St Padre Pio Catholic Primary School, Thornhill Park – bringing the total number of MACS schools to 292.

St Marianne Cope Catholic Parish Primary School

Stage 1 includes 13 general learning and specialist subject areas, a Children’s Hub, two car parks, a bike shed, two basketball courts, a soccer field, a playground and a sandpit. Future stages will include additional classrooms, specialist spaces, an indoor gymnasium and hall, and a performing arts centre. This project has been made possible by local contribution and a Victorian Government grant. Principal Jackie Byrne is so pleased to be offering a Catholic option to the families of Mount Atkinson.

St Padre Pio Catholic Primary School

Stage 1 of construction includes nine classrooms, a STEM space, full administration and staff areas, basketball courts, full car park, extensive landscaping and a Children’s Hub. Future stages planned include further classrooms and specialist spaces, an indoor gymnasium and arts centre, play spaces and outdoor learning facilities, and a fully synthetic oval. Principal Daniel Bermingham says he’s been ‘gobsmacked by the amount of interest and encouragement from the people of Thornhill Park’. This project was made possible by a Victorian Government capital grant, a Catholic Development Fund loan, and local contribution.

MACSEYE Children’s Hub

Both schools include a MACSEYE Children’s Hub. These on-campus outside school hours care (OSHC) and kinder services offer a smooth transition from early years education into primary school.

See the brand-new campus for yourself in this tour video:
St Padre Pio Catholic Primary School school tour