Are you starting Year 11 in 2026 and dreaming of a career in nursing?
Through a partnership between CathWest and Bedford College, you can begin your journey to become a nurse while completing your HSC and earn a nationally recognised qualification.
- Gain real skills for the workplace
- Graduate with your HSC + a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance
Where it can take you:
- Diploma of Nursing
- Bachelor of Nursing
- A rewarding career in Healthcare
Are you starting Year 11 in 2026 and dreaming of a career in nursing?
CathWest | School done differently
CathWest is proud to be part of Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta’s system of 80 Catholic primary and secondary schools operating across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains providing more than 46,000 students with a high-quality, low fee Catholic education.
At CathWest you can get your NSW HSC, undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship, set up your own business, achieve industry recognised credentials, or even gain entry into university! We invite you to discover for yourself how we can transform your learning.
LATEST NEWS All news items
30 Jun 2026
From Instagram
🌟 Year 11 Early Childhood Education and Care 🌟 Recently our Year 11 ECEC students put their learning into practice by planning and setting up engaging learning experiences for children. 🧩🎨📚 It was fantastic to see students applying their knowledge of child development and play-based learning while creating experiences that encourage curiosity, creativity, and learning. A highlight of the lesson was seeing some students design and create their own resources. Their ideas were thoughtful, imaginative, and demonstrated a wonderful understanding of how learning materials can support children's development. 👏✨ We are so proud of the creativity, initiative, and enthusiasm shown by our students as they continue to develop the skills needed for a career in Early Childhood Education. #ECEC #Year11 #FutureEducators #LearningThroughPlay #CreativityInEducation #HandsOnLearning #StudentSuccess #earlychildhoodeducation @stlukesmp @carolinechisholmglenmorepark #stpatricksmaristcollegedundas @catholicschoolsparra
29 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🌟 Year 11 Early Childhood Education and Care 🌟 Recently our Year 11 ECEC students put their learning into practice by planning and setting up engaging learning experiences for children. 🧩🎨📚 It was fantastic to see students applying their knowledge of child development and play-based learning while creating experiences that encourage curiosity, creativity, and learning. A highlight of the lesson was seeing some students design and create their own resources. Their ideas were thoughtful, imaginative, and demonstrated a wonderful understanding of how learning materials can support children's development. 👏✨ We are so proud of the creativity, initiative, and enthusiasm shown by our students as they continue to develop the skills needed for a career in Early Childhood Education. #ECEC #Year11 #FutureEducators #LearningThroughPlay #CreativityInEducation #HandsOnLearning #StudentSuccess #earlychildhoodeducation @stlukesmp @carolinechisholmglenmorepark #stpatricksmaristcollegedundas @catholicschoolsparra
28 Jun 2026
From Instagram
Last week four of our Year 12 leaders attended a CSPD Leadership Breakfast at Novotel. Keynote speaker, Joy Adan spoke about the importance of having our self value based on our individual strengths and using them for good. She also highlighted the negative side of our society, as we put too much trust in AI and social media to define our worth . 💜💙 Our students were able to network and discuss this topic in more depth with other school leaders. A common theme that kept arising was that Cathwest’s approach to Catholic Education aligned with this view of placing our value in our skills but more importantly, how we treat others. 🥰 @joyadan.life #cdspfaithinaction @catholicyouthparra Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese @catholicschoolsparra
28 Jun 2026
From Facebook
Last week four of our Year 12 leaders attended a CSPD Leadership Breakfast at Novotel. Keynote speaker, Joy Adan spoke about the importance of having our self value based on our individual strengths and using them for good. She also highlighted the negative side of our society, as we put too much trust in AI and social media to define our worth . 🥰 Our students were able to network and discuss this topic in more depth with other school leaders. A common theme that kept arising was that Cathwest’s approach to Catholic Education aligned with this view of placing our value in our skills but more importantly, how we treat others. 💜 @joyadan.life #cdspfaithinaction @catholicyouthparra Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese @catholicschoolsparra
27 Jun 2026
From Instagram
🌟 Future Educators in the Making! 🌟 Over the past month, two of our fantastic CathWest students spent four consecutive Wednesdays at Nirimba TAFE and completed the YES Program - Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)! This multi-week experience gave them an in-depth look into the industry, including a wonderful opportunity to visit the on-campus ECEC centre to see real-world teaching practices in action. 🧸 The Foundation of Early Learning During their time at TAFE, our students explored the core philosophies that drive quality early childhood education. All TAFE NSW Children’s Centres follow the National Early Years Learning Framework, which focuses deeply on: 👶🏼Nurturing children's sense of self 👶🏿Developing their sense of belonging 👶Encouraging ongoing development 🚀 The Power of Play-Based Learning Across the 4-week course, our students got a firsthand look at how intentional, play-based learning programs are designed to spark children’s imagination in a positive environment where they are encouraged to play together. This interactive environment is crucial because it enables children to: 💜Build strong confidence 💙Develop vital socialisation skills 💜Express and explore their own ideas 💙Engage meaningfully with the ideas of others 💼 Inspiring the Next Step The best part of this extended experience? It completely solidified their career goals! Spending four Wednesdays witnessing the framework in action has given both students the confidence to officially pursue ECEC as a career pathway for their ongoing studies here at CathWest. Opportunities like this allow CathWest students to step into real-world environments, test-drive their career passions over multiple weeks, and lock in their future with clarity and certainty. We are incredibly proud of our students for committing to this course with curiosity and enthusiasm. The future of early childhood education is looking bright! ☀️ #CathWest #NirimbaTAFE #EarlyChildhoodEducation #VETPathway #FutureEducators #LearningByDoing #ECEC #CareerPathways #vocationaleducation #ECEC #FutureEducators #SkillsNSW TAFE NSW @ambroseearlylearningandcare #InspiringYoungMinds @catholicschoolsparra
26 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🌟 Future Educators in the Making! 🌟 Over the past month, two of our fantastic CathWest students spent four consecutive Wednesdays at Nirimba TAFE and completed the YES Program - Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)! This multi-week experience gave them an in-depth look into the industry, including a wonderful opportunity to visit the on-campus ECEC centre to see real-world teaching practices in action. 🧸 The Foundation of Early Learning During their time at TAFE, our students explored the core philosophies that drive quality early childhood education. All TAFE NSW Children’s Centres follow the National Early Years Learning Framework, which focuses deeply on: 👶🏼Nurturing children's sense of self 👶🏿Developing their sense of belonging 👶Encouraging ongoing development 🚀 The Power of Play-Based Learning Across the 4-week course, our students got a firsthand look at how intentional, play-based learning programs are designed to spark children’s imagination in a positive environment where they are encouraged to play together. This interactive environment is crucial because it enables children to: 💜Build strong confidence 💙Develop vital socialisation skills 💜Express and explore their own ideas 💙Engage meaningfully with the ideas of others 💼 Inspiring the Next Step The best part of this extended experience? It completely solidified their career goals! Spending four Wednesdays witnessing the framework in action has given both students the confidence to officially pursue ECEC as a career pathway for their ongoing studies here at CathWest. Opportunities like this allow CathWest students to step into real-world environments, test-drive their career passions over multiple weeks, and lock in their future with clarity and certainty. We are incredibly proud of our students for committing to this course with curiosity and enthusiasm. The future of early childhood education is looking bright! ☀️ #CathWest #NirimbaTAFE #EarlyChildhoodEducation #VETPathway #FutureEducators #LearningByDoing #ECEC #CareerPathways #vocationaleducation #ECEC #FutureEducators #SkillsNSW TAFE NSW @ambroseearlylearningandcare #InspiringYoungMinds @catholicschoolsparra
25 Jun 2026
From Instagram
🛠️ "Jesus was a tradie." Talk about faith in action! Our CathWest Innovation College community recently transformed a 'Brick & Block' workshop into a sacred space for a incredibly special Mass celebrating Saint Joseph the Worker.👷 Hand-built by our students, the altar stood at the centre of a beautiful liturgy celebrated by Bishop Vincent Long, reflecting our unique blend of trade, innovation, and Catholic identity. From a student-built sacred space to a rockin' rendition of 'Working Class Man' by our staff band, it was an unforgettable celebration of community, humility, and hard work.🪇🎹🎼 👉 Read the full story and see how our students are building their futures—and their faith—on our website https://cathwest.parra.catholic.edu.au/news-events/news/2026/06/10/02/35/build-it-and-they-will-pray @Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese @catholicyouthparra #cdspfaithinaction Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
24 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🛠️ "Jesus was a tradie." Talk about faith in action! Our CathWest Innovation College community recently transformed a 'Brick & Block' workshop into a sacred space for a incredibly special Mass celebrating Saint Joseph the Worker.👷 Hand-built by our students, the altar stood at the centre of a beautiful liturgy celebrated by Bishop Vincent Long, reflecting our unique blend of trade, innovation, and Catholic identity. From a student-built sacred space to a rockin' rendition of 'Working Class Man' by our staff band, it was an unforgettable celebration of community, humility, and hard work.🪇🎹🎼 👉 Read the full story and see how our students are building their futures—and their faith—on our website https://cathwest.parra.catholic.edu.au/news-events/news/2026/06/10/02/35/build-it-and-they-will-pray @Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese @catholicyouthparra #cdspfaithinaction Catholic Schools Parramatta DioceseCatholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
23 Jun 2026
From Instagram
🖤💛❤️ Uncle Ted & Taleishah Indigenous Cultural Incursion ❤️💛🖤 Recently, Our Year 12 ECEC students had the incredible privilege of learning from Uncle Ted and Taleishah from Jarara. It was an inspiring session filled with storytelling, history, and deep cultural insights to help guide our future educators. Here are a few highlights from the day: Caring for Country & Identity: Students explored traditional tools, the deep responsibility of sustainable living, and how totems foster identity and community connections. 🌿🪃✨ Inclusive Education: The group discussed practical ways to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, art, and language into early childhood settings to ensure all families feel welcomed and represented. History & Reconciliation: The session provided a meaningful space to learn about historical truths, including the impact of the Stolen Generations, emphasizing the importance of cultural understanding. 🏏 Fun Fact We Learned: The very first cricket team to represent Australia internationally was actually an all-Aboriginal team that toured England in 1868! A massive thank you to Uncle Ted and Taleishah for sharing your wisdom, stories, and culture with us. This unforgettable experience will beautifully support our students on their journey to becoming culturally responsive and inclusive educators. 🖤💛❤️ 💚💙🤍 #IndigenousEducation #AboriginalCulture #FirstNations #CaringForCountry #Sustainability #Totems #Belonging #CulturalInclusion #Reconciliation #Jarara #ECEC #FutureEducators #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #TruthTelling #JARARA
22 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🖤💛❤️ Uncle Ted & Taleishah Indigenous Cultural Incursion ❤️💛🖤 Recently, Our Year 12 ECEC students had the incredible privilege of learning from Uncle Ted and Taleishah from Jarara. It was an inspiring session filled with storytelling, history, and deep cultural insights to help guide our future educators. Here are a few highlights from the day: Caring for Country & Identity: Students explored traditional tools, the deep responsibility of sustainable living, and how totems foster identity and community connections. 🌿🪃✨ Inclusive Education: The group discussed practical ways to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, art, and language into early childhood settings to ensure all families feel welcomed and represented. History & Reconciliation: The session provided a meaningful space to learn about historical truths, including the impact of the Stolen Generations, emphasizing the importance of cultural understanding. 🏏 Fun Fact We Learned: The very first cricket team to represent Australia internationally was actually an all-Aboriginal team that toured England in 1868! A massive thank you to Uncle Ted and Taleishah for sharing your wisdom, stories, and culture with us. This unforgettable experience will beautifully support our students on their journey to becoming culturally responsive and inclusive educators. 🖤💛❤️ 💚💙🤍 #IndigenousEducation #AboriginalCulture #FirstNations #CaringForCountry #Sustainability #Totems #Belonging #CulturalInclusion #Reconciliation #Jarara #ECEC #FutureEducators #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #TruthTelling #JARARA
21 Jun 2026
From Instagram
Our student leaders completely ran the show! 🛠️⚡🪚 When Susan Templeman MP visited CathWest recently, we handed the keys over to our Year 12 student leaders to show her exactly how we do things here. No boring presentations—just a full-access tour through our campus and workshop rooms, led by students who are already out there crushing it in industry. Susan got a firsthand look at the future of trades, guided by the best in the business: The Carpentry & Joinery Crew 🪚: Showed off the precision, hands-on builds, and heavy-duty projects keeping the workshops buzzing. The Electro Crew ⚡: Gave a look into the sparks, circuitry, and technical skills driving the modern electrical trade. The Ultimate Parting Gift ✒️: To top it all off, our carpentry students gifted Susan a custom-made pen they crafted right here in the workshop. Talk about next-level craftsmanship! The Iconic Photo Op 🧱📸: Of course, the tour wasn't complete without stopping for a flick with our famous Lego Man—shoutout to the legendary CathWest Alumni who originally built him! The ultimate flex? Every single one of these student leaders is already employed by a local business through their School-Based Apprenticeship (SBA). They are literally earning a paycheck, gaining real-world experience, and locking in their HSC all at the same time. 💼💸 Having a federal leader come in and validate the hard work our future tradespeople are putting in means the world. Massive shoutout to our leaders for representing CathWest so well, and a huge thank you to Susan for hanging out with us! #CathWest #StudentLeaders #Carpentry #Electrotechnology #Joinery #SBA #SchoolBasedApprenticeship #EarnAndLearn #FutureTrades #LegoMan #cathwestalumni #susantempleman #susantemplemanmp #nswskills #westernsydneypenrith #VocationalEducation #catholiceducation #cspd #catholicschoolsparramattadiocese #catholicschoolsparramattadiocese #bradali #riversidefitouts #stowe
20 Jun 2026
From Facebook
We were absolutely thrilled to welcome Susan Templeman MP (Federal Member for Macquarie and Special Envoy for the Arts) to CathWest Innovation College recently! The visit began with an insightful sit-down meeting with Paul Stenning, Principal and Samatha Boreham, Assistant Principal. Susan was eager to learn more about the CathWest model and how we empower students to dual-track their success—completing their HSC while concurrently kicking off a School-Based Apprenticeship (SBA). Following the briefing, Susan took a tour of the campus guided by our inspiring Year 12 student leaders. Every single one of these students is already employed by a local business through their SBA, gaining invaluable on-the-job experience while completing their schooling. It was fantastic to watch them show Susan firsthand how a hands-on, flexible learning environment has prepared them for the workforce. Susan’s federal focus on education, local opportunity, and youth well-being directly aligns with the culture we promote here at CathWest. Having a federal leader validate our students’ hard work and non-traditional pathways means the world to our community. Thank you, Susan, for your time, your deep engagement with our future tradespeople and entrepreneurs, and your ongoing support for educational innovation in Greater Western Sydney! #susantempleman #susantemplemanmp #nswskills #westernsydneypenrith #VocationalEducation #catholiceducation #cspd #catholicschoolsparramattadiocese #catholicschoolsparramattadiocese #bradali #riversidefitouts #stowe
19 Jun 2026
From Instagram
Ever wonder what high school looks like when you trade textbooks for real-world experience? 🤔✨ Shoutout to all the amazing Year 10 students who joined us this week for an epic 'Try a Career' day! The energy was unmatched, and you absolutely crushed the workshops. Here is a quick recap of the madness: 🚗 Automotive: Learnt the basics of car maintenance and went head-to-head in a high-speed tyre-changing challenge. 🔨 Carpentry: Mastered the tools and built custom wooden mallets from scratch. 🧸 Childcare: Got a taste of early childhood education with heaps of hands-on play, painting, and reading. 🚧 Civil Construction: Got hands-on with paving, digging, and a legendary nail-driving comp. 💇♀️ Hairdressing: Stepped up the style game learning to braid and curl like pros. 🩺 Nursing: Practiced life-saving skills like CPR, wound care, and injection basics. 🎬 Screen & Media: Took over the studio to write scripts, act, and produce original content. Why settle for a boring routine? At CathWest, you don’t have to choose between finishing school and starting your career. You get to roll up your sleeves, be creative every single day, and complete your HSC while getting paid and qualified through a School-Based Apprenticeship (SBA) or Traineeship. 🙌💼 Ready to build a future you're actually excited about? Drop a 🛠️ in the comments if you came along, and hit the link in our bio to check out our upcoming open days! 🔗👇 https://cathwest.parra.catholic.edu.au/enrolment #TryACareer #Year10 #HighSchoolVibes #HSC #SchoolBasedApprenticeship #Traineeship #TradieLife #CreativeIndustries #HandsOnLearning #ECEC #catholicschoolsparramattadiocese #anate #parramattamarist #skillsnsw @ambroseearlylearningandcare @anategroup Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese @catholicschoolsparra @TAFE NSW @tafensw St John Paul II Catholic College, Schofields & Nirimba @ambroseearlylearningandcare @stjohnpaul2cc St Agnes CHS Rooty Hill @parramatta.marist Xavier College @xavierllandilo #stjohn
18 Jun 2026
From Facebook
This week, CathWest welcomed Year 10 students from neighboring schools for an incredible 'Try a Career' day! We know it can be hard for teens to choose a career path from a textbook, so we gave them the chance to get totally hands-on and experience real industries for themselves. Here is a glimpse of what they got up to: 🚗 Automotive: Learned basic car maintenance and raced the clock in a tyre-changing challenge! 🔨 Carpentry: Got to grips with different tools and built their very own wooden mallets. 🧸 Childcare: Stepped into the shoes of an educator with painting, reading, and playdough fun. 🚧 Civil Construction: Got their hands dirty paving, digging, and battling it out in a nail-driving competition. 💇♀️ Hairdressing: Leveled up their styling skills by learning to braid and curl. 🩺 Nursing: Practiced life-saving basics including CPR and wound care. 🎬 Screen & Media: Brought stories to life through scriptwriting, acting, and producing! A big thank you to all our teachers who ran the workshops - It was fantastic to see so much energy and engagement. What makes completing school different at CathWest? We know parents want their kids to have the best possible start. At CathWest, our students get to roll up their sleeves and be creative every day—completing their HSC while kickstarting their careers through a School-Based Apprenticeship (SBA) or Traineeship. They do not have to choose between finishing high school and starting their career; they can do both! Head over to our website https://info.parra.catholic.edu.au/open-day/cathwest-innovation-college to book a school tour. @ambroseearlylearningandcare @anategroup Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese @catholicschoolsparra @TAFE NSW @tafensw St John Paul II Catholic College, Schofields & Nirimba @stjohnpaul2cc St Agnes CHS Rooty Hill @parramatta.marist Xavier College @xavierllandilo
10 Jun 2026
Build it and they will pray
CathWest Innovation College transformed a workshop into sacred space for a special Mass celebrating Saint Joseph, the patron saint of workers, celebrated by Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv.
UPCOMING EVENTS All upcoming events
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17 Jun 2026
Try a Career Day @ CathWest Loyola Campus
Year 10, are you curious about trying a career...? Register for CathWest's 'Try a Career Day' at the CathWest Loyola Campus!
CathWest Nursing Traineeship
Starting Year 11 in 2026? Dreaming of a career in nursing? Kickstart your healthcare journey with a certificate III in Health Services Assistance!