St Ursula's College

The Ursuline Order was established by Saint Angela de Merici in Brescia, Italy, in the year 1535. Saint Angela chose to name the order in honor of Saint Ursula, who is recognized as the patron saint of the Sorbonne in Paris and is also associated with education. The Ursuline Sisters arrived at Kingsgrove Parish in 1949, having been invited to assume responsibility for St Bernadette's School at Bexley South, previously managed by the Sisters of Mercy. Initially, the sisters resided at the convent in Ashbury and commuted daily to Bexley North. Within a few years, they successfully established a convent on Caroline Street, Kingsgrove, which now serves as the administration building for St Ursula's College. In 1953, they inaugurated a new educational institution, Our Lady of Fatima Primary School. St Ursula's College commenced operations in 1957, welcoming 56 girls into the first form. The subsequent year saw an additional 52 students enroll, and by 1959, the total number of students had reached 200. The College has experienced significant growth since then, currently boasting an enrollment of over 1,000 students, supported by more than 80 teachers and 20 ancillary staff members. In both 2018 and 2020, St Ursula's was recognized among the top 50 schools in New South Wales based on HSC results. In 2023, St Ursula's College introduced the International Baccalaureate program, becoming the first systemic Catholic school in Australia to offer this educational pathway to its students. In December 2023, the school lifted its prohibition on same-sex partners for LGBT+ students attending the school formal, following a Change.org petition initiated by a student that garnered 4,900 signatures against the "discriminatory policy." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare encouraged the school to reconsider the ban, asserting that students "should be able to take whoever they wanted" to the Year 12 farewell. Additionally, in the same month, Pope Francis announced that priests would be permitted to bless same-sex couples.