Early in 2024 it was announced that a brand new Religious Education curriculum would be developed for schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Since then, a writing team has been working to develop new units of work for Prep to Year 10, with a focus on deep theological understanding, student engagement, and high-quality teaching practice.

We’re proud that Sacred Heart College is playing a leading role in this important initiative. Our Principal, Dr Darren Egberts, is a member of the Reference Group guiding the development of the curriculum. This group brings together principals, theologians, academics, and experienced educators from across the Archdiocese to ensure the curriculum is faithful, relevant, and future-focused.

Our Director of Faith and Mission, Saul Travers-Hucker, has supported the setup of Trial-Based Learning Teams (TLTs) in several secondary schools across the Archdiocese, including Sacred Heart. This work is carried out in collaboration with Mission Partners from the Archdiocese, ensuring strong alignment with broader Catholic identity and mission priorities. These teams are working closely with the curriculum writers to trial the draft units of work for years 7 and 8 and will provide valuable feedback from the classroom.

At Sacred Heart, the trial will be overseen by our Head of Learning for Religious Education, Lydia Lawrence, who will ensure that the process supports excellence in learning and teaching and meets the needs of our students. RE teachers Freya Egberts, Andrea Knight, and Tara Wilkes will deliver the draft curriculum in selected Year 7 classes during Semester 2 and provide practical, experience-based feedback to help shape the final version.

We commend these teachers for their selection to be involved in the Trial-Based Learning Teams. Each of them brings valuable experience in Religious Education, a strong commitment to the Catholic faith, and a professional openness to exploring new approaches that benefit students. Their participation reflects the high level of expertise within our staff and the College’s ongoing commitment to developing engaging, challenging, and evidence-based learning programs.

This initiative strongly supports our strategic priorities and represents an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of Religious Education across the Archdiocese.

Further information about the Year 7 trial and classroom involvement will be shared with families early in Term 3.