Principal - Chisholm

Catholic Schools Office Maitland - Newcastle; Newcastle-Maitland; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

St Bede’s Catholic College, Chisholm, seeks an outstanding educational leader to join us as Principal from January 2027. This high‑growth, faith‑based college educates about 900 students and aims to strengthen academic excellence, wellbeing and Catholic formation.

You will lead across the school to implement a shared vision, nurture staff, students and families, and ensure strong governance and strategic growth in alignment with the Diocese’s pillars.

Qualifications

• Practising Catholic active in the life of a Eucharistic community, with baptismal call to witness.
• Ability to articulate and create a shared improvement agenda aligned with priorities and evidence-based practice.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to build relationships with students, staff, families and stakeholders.
• Ability to analyse data on Catholic identity, academics, behaviour and wellbeing to improve outcomes.
• Ability to optimise human, financial and physical resources for quality outcomes.
• Understanding of equity, diversity, WHS and performance management policies.
• Experience as RE Coordinator or Leadership roles in Religious Education (Desirable).
• Experience across multiple school settings (Desirable).
• Active participation in education forums (Desirable).

Responsibilities

• Model faith in action.
• Develop and shape a shared vision focused on quality educational experiences and learning outcomes for all students.
• Nurture positive relationships between students, teachers, and all stakeholders.
• Support and monitor the learning and growth of effective teachers.
• Set high standards for students and staff performance.

Skills

Catholic leadership

Interpersonal skills

Data-driven decision making

Education

Four-year trained teacher

Master of Education

Postgraduate in Religious Education

Postgraduate in Educational Leadership

Active NESA Accreditation

WWCC clearance

Job description

Catholic Schools Office Maitland – Newcastle – Chisholm NSW

St Bede’s Catholic College, Chisholm Permanent Full Time | Commencing January 2027

St Bede’s Catholic College, Chisholm is seeking an outstanding educational leader to join the College as Principal from January 2027.

Located in the growing suburb of Chisholm, St Bede’s Catholic College is a contemporary co‑educational secondary school within the Diocese of Maitland‑Newcastle. Since opening in 2018, the College has experienced significant growth and currently educates approximately 900 students across Years 7 to 12, with an eventual enrolment capacity of 1,100 students.

As Principal, you will lead a vibrant and faith-filled learning community committed to academic excellence, student wellbeing, and Catholic formation. You will inspire staff, students and families through visionary leadership, fostering a culture where every learner is empowered to thrive.

The College's growth and development are guided by four key pillars:

• Courage
• Knowledge
• Community
• Faith

These pillars underpin the College's Strategic Plan and align with its four core domains:

• Catholic Formation and Mission
• Learning and Teaching
• Leadership
• Wellbeing and Partnerships

This is an exceptional opportunity for a passionate and experienced leader to build upon the strong foundations of a flourishing Catholic secondary school and shape its future direction.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Principal will lead across the school community to:

• Model faith in action
• Develop and shape a shared vision focussed on providing quality educational experiences and learning outcomes for all students
• Nurture positive relationships between students, teachers, and all other stakeholders
• Support and monitor the learning and growth of effective teachers
• Set high standards for students and staff performance.

EXPERIENCE/CRITERIA

• Practising Catholic active in the life of a Eucharistic community, with an understanding of their baptismal call to share and witness the good news of Jesus Christ
• Demonstrated ability to articulate and create a shared improvement agenda that aligns with system priorities and embeds an evidence‑based practice with high expectations for student learning and teacher practice.
• Proven strong interpersonal and communication skills with demonstrated capacity to build solid trusting relationships with students, staff, families, and all stakeholders
• An ability to effectively analyse and respond to student data on Catholic identity, academic performance, behaviour, and wellbeing to enhance learning outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively optimise the school’s human, financial and physical resources to deliver high quality organisational and educational outcomes
• Demonstrated understanding of relevant legislative and legal frameworks including equity and diversity, work health and safety and performance management principles in the management of staff and the capacity to implement relevant plans and policies to ensure strong governance
• Experience in the role of Religious Education Coordinator (primary schools), or in the roles of Ministry Coordinator and/or Leader of Learning Religion (secondary schools) (Desirable)
• Experience working across more than one school setting (Desirable)
• Active participation and leadership in education forums (i.e. Principal/Assistant Principal Professional Associations/Networks) (Desirable)

QUALIFICATIONS

• Qualifications as a four‑year trained teacher or Master of Education qualification (or approved as Threeyear trained due to significant prior experience as a Teacher within the system).
• Postgraduate qualifications (Category E) in Religious Education, Theological Studies, or a willingness to enrol and complete within four years of appointment
• Postgraduate qualifications (Category E) in Educational Leadership combined with a minimum of ten years teaching experience or an equivalent combination of experience, training, and achievement
• Active NESA Accreditation
• Current paid NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) number
• Completion of anaphylaxis training.

Additional information

The Diocese of Maitland‑Newcastle is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable persons and preventing those in our care from suffering abuse or neglect. It is committed to implementing and maintaining compliance with the NSW Child Safe Standards and the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards and takes a zero‑tolerance approach to abuse of children or vulnerable persons. All who work in the name of the Diocese must comply with the Diocesan Safeguarding Framework Policy and act in accordance with the Diocese’s Code of Conduct which includes the Diocese’s Safeguarding Commitment Statement. Employees are required to undergo a National Police Check and retain a valid NSW Working with Children Check where necessary, in accordance with legislation.