Welcome to Sacred Heart College Kyneton.

Sacred Heart College is a Catholic co-educational secondary school that offers broad-based contemporary learning and teaching for young people of the Macedon Ranges.

Our school has a rich heritage, established by the Sisters of Mercy more than 130 years ago. That proud Mercy tradition continues to be lived out through our core values, practices and school environment. The College’s long association with Kyneton and its surrounding communities provides the foundations for our close relationships with local primary schools (both parish-based and local government).

Sacred Heart College is a welcoming, engaging and safe community. Our students and staff are compassionate, curious and hope-filled with respectful relationships forming the basis of our College’s Wellbeing programs.

As would be expected for a school bearing the name, ‘Sacred Heart’, our College is Christ-centred and has as its fundamental purpose, the development of young people, enabling them to flourish and become the most fully human persons possible.

The College’s contemporary learning and teaching environment provides every student with opportunities to be both challenged and supported. At Sacred Heart College, every young person will enjoy personalised and engaging education from committed and caring teachers and educational staff.

Sacred Heart College is a medium-sized secondary school with a current enrolment of just over 800 students. Our students are able to access more than 40 VCE and VET subjects as well as a broad range of viable pathways into tertiary education, apprenticeships, employment and other opportunities.

In 2021 and 2022, Sacred Heart College developed a new Strategic Plan that includes a set of ten strategic commitments across all of the key areas of the school. These aspirational statements serve as the foundations for the College’s growth over the next four years.

I encourage you to explore College life as celebrated through our website and see our core values of Mercy brought to life – Compassion, Courage, Hospitality, Justice, Respect and Service.

Yours in Mercy,

Dr Darren Egberts
Principal

Our Values

In living our Mission and Vision, we are guided by the following Mercy Educational Values:

Leadership Profiles

Dr Darren Egberts

Principal

Darren was appointed Principal of Sacred Heart College in January 2019. Darren has had almost 30 years experience in teaching and leadership across a number of Victorian Catholic secondary schools. These include eight years as Principal of Mercy Regional College, Camperdown; nine years as Deputy Principal and Director of Mission at Mount Lilydale Mercy College; seven years as a Chemistry, Religious Education and Science teacher as well as REC at Sacred Heart College, Geelong.

Darren has been committed to a lifetime of study and professional development. After completing his initial degree of Bachelor of Science and Graduate Diploma of Education at the University of Melbourne, he continued his study by completing a Graduate Diploma of Religious Education, a Masters of Religious Education and a Doctor of Education, all at Australian Catholic University. In 2018, Darren participated in the Enhancing Catholic School Identity programme in Leuven, Belgium.

Darren has a deep and passionate affiliation with the Mercy tradition and charism and believes that Mercy schools must be “…committed to holistic education; determined to ensure that each student flourishes academically, spiritually, emotionally, socially and physically”.

The purpose of the Catholic school is to provide “… an authentic Christian education, where students are called to embrace the essence of the Gospels, to flourish as whole human persons” and “… to provide exemplary learning experiences for the students who attend”.

Contact number: +61 3 5421 1226

Debra McNaughton

Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching

Debra joined Sacred Heart at the beginning of 2016.

Prior to 2016 Debra taught at St Patrick’s College in Ballarat and Padua College in Mornington holding a number of different leadership roles at both schools. Her experiences taught her that country schools and their students face different issues and experiences from their city counterparts. Sacred Heart offers students the best of both worlds – a wide range of subjects and pathways with the community feel of a country school.

Her teaching background has been predominantly in the subject areas of Business Management and Economics. She is a textbook author, has collaborated on many educational videos and has held a number of roles with the VCAA. These experiences have led to a great awareness that the jobs available in the future will be vastly different from those which exist today. This is something which Sacred Heart College must consider to ensure that we meet the changing needs of our students

Julie Mortimer

Deputy Principal – Student Wellbeing

As Deputy Principal of Student Wellbeing, Ms Julie Mortimer brings a wealth of experience to Sacred Heart College Kyneton. Having worked in education for many years in both the Government and Catholic sectors, Julie has worked specifically within the wellbeing area for over 17 years.

Julie’s knowledge of working and supporting students has been enhanced by formal study, and this continues to be an ongoing source of interest and passion.

Overseeing the development and implementation of wellbeing systems, programs and processes which create an inclusive and supportive environment conducive to learning, is Julie’s key role at Sacred Heart College.

Julie believes that everyone matters at Sacred Heart College Kyneton. It is a school which prides itself on striving to be all things to everyone. The focus is on continually improving and reviewing our social emotional programs, developing opportunities for authentic Student Voice, building our parent relationships through honest and supportive processes, and knowing our students. Our wish is for our students to be able to make healthy connections, develop and maintain genuine relationships, and build and grow resilience - all vital, life enriching skills.

These are the qualities that can move a good life to a great life, and this, from a wellbeing sense, is what we aim for.

Sam Weir

Director of Faith and Mission

Sam joined the College Leadership Team in 2023. In previous years, Sam has been the Religious Education Leader at Sacred Heart College, and Deputy Principal: Learning Faith at Santa Maria College.

Sam holds Masters level degrees in Religious Education, Theology, and Educational Leadership, and finds great joy in opportunities for learning and growth. His work is underpinned by an appreciation that a Catholic education is an education in love: love for self; love for others; love for the earth; and love for the vulnerable.

Nourished by the living charism of the Sisters of Mercy, Sam works with students and staff as together they imagine creative and hope-filled opportunities “to walk the path that Catherine trod”.

Sam feels blessed to hear each day the spiritual wisdom offered by Sacred Heart students as they respond to the world and their place in it, and he seeks to create opportunities for the college community to listen deeply to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us, and saying through us.

Peita Rocard

Director of Staff

Peita commenced at Sacred Heart College Kyneton in 2007. A qualified and experienced Teacher Librarian, she was delighted to join the College Community in the region where she grew up and resides.

A proud life-long learner, Peita has focused on building her leadership capacity and experience by diversifying and maintaining a variety of roles over the past sixteen years at the College, including Learning Resource Leader, Humanities Learning Leader, and VCE Coordinator. She enjoys working closely with the staff to ensure the most optimum outcomes for our students.

Peita strongly believes in advocating for the wellbeing of staff in their demanding work as educators, whilst also ensuring accountability of compliance and expectations. In her role as Director of Staff, Peita is determined to foster a culture of collegiality and excellence. She looks forward to applying her knowledge and experience to assist the staff at Sacred Heart College to continue to build their capacity in pedagogy and leadership.

Matthew Shaw

Director of Business

Matthew is a new member of staff in 2021. Through 2019 and 2020 Matt was the Finance Manager at the Yarra Plenty Regional Library Corporation, prior to which he was the School Accountant at the Knox School in Wantirna, and the Finance and Project Manager at Plenty Valley International Montessori School in St Helena.

Matthew is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Accountants, and completed his Master of Commerce in Professional Accounting through the University of New England. Matt is looking forward to networking with and learning from his peers through Mercy Education, and the Catholic Education Business Administrators. He highly values the support provided, and ideas shared, through these sorts of networks - to ensure best practice in all that they do as business managers, improve the effective operations of our schools, and in supporting our educators to help students flourish into their best selves.

Winter Flight over SHC