Aquinas College, Ringwood VIC

Inspired by Gospel values and mindful of our Catholic identity, our Vision is to ignite the fire of learning and shine as a beacon of excellence, hope and love in the world’. Our College motto ‘Illuminare et Ardere’ is interpreted by us to mean ‘To Light Up and Be on Fire’. At Aquinas College we are committed to educating our students to take their place in the global community and to view the world from multiple perspectives with an awareness of God in their lives guided by our College values – spirituality, belonging, perseverance, compassion, stewardship and justice. We closely connect pastoral care to learning as students who feel safe at school are inclined to learn more successfully and take greater advantage of school life and its many benefits. We are proud of our expert staff, committed to enhancing the learning experience, encouraging differentiation and promoting individual resourcefulness. Our aim is to assist students to embrace and harness their unique gifts by providing a rich, diverse and contemporary learning framework in the Middle Years. A comprehensive range of subject choices provide an opportunity to pursue specific areas of interest as students proceed to the Senior Years. Students seeking University entrance have access to a wide variety of subjects in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), whereas those interested in exploring vocational pathways have the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) and a broad range of Vocational Education and Training (VET) certificates available. Students can select courses by interest and ability from Year 10 as well as accelerate in VCE subjects and are encouraged to develop as critical and independent thinkers. Aquinas has a comprehensive co-curriculum that encourages involvement, leadership, community spirit, physical engagement, artistic endeavour, teamwork and Social Justice. The College is a fully accredited member of the Council of International Schools and a major secondary campus for St Mary’s College the Deaf.