Principal’s Message

Mater Dei Catholic Primary School Blakehurst is a two‑stream Catholic school in southern Sydney, deeply connected to Mater Dei Parish and guided in faith by our parish priest, Father Thomas Alukka. Inspired by our school motto, Growing Together in Christ, we strive to nourish the faith of every member of our community and to live out our shared vision:

“With hope in our hearts and a strong faith, we grow together in Christ to make a positive difference in our world.”

Grounded in our Josephite values of Respect, Justice, Dignity, Compassion, Love, Courage and Faithfulness, we work together to create a just and caring community where each child is known, valued, and supported to flourish.

Our learning vision, The Mater Dei Way, shapes the contemporary, evidence‑based education we provide. At Mater Dei, teachers “create student‑centred environments that nurture autonomy, creativity, and personal choice” and design purposeful learning that is hands‑on, inquiry‑driven, and connected to real‑world contexts.

Students are empowered as active, capable learners who “take ownership of their learning by setting goals, embracing challenges, and applying feedback.” They collaborate, think critically, take risks, and express their understanding in diverse ways as they grow in confidence, resilience, and joy.

We value growth for every child. Our teachers “know each learner holistically and design differentiated, challenging experiences that support and extend,” ensuring high expectations, equity, and unstoppable growth for all.

To enrich learning, we offer specialist programs in sport, music, dance and drama, alongside optional co‑curricular opportunities including languages, chess, keyboard, instrumental lessons, and fun and fitness.

Mater Dei Catholic Primary School is strengthened by a supportive and engaged parent community. Together, we nurture our children in faith, learning, wellbeing, and character—growing together in Christ.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Melanie Headley

Principal

Mater Dei Catholic Primary School BlakehurstHistory
Mater Dei Catholic Primary School Blakehurst
is a primary school that caters to students from Kindergarten to Year 6. Father Michael Kennedy founded the school in 1960 and it was initially staffed by lay teachers until 1964 when the Sisters of St Joseph took over the administration of the school.
The school is founded on the Josephite values of love, justice, dignity, faithfulness, courage, and compassion. And the Sisters maintained a strong presence in the school until 1979.

Charism
The charism of Saint Mary MacKillop has been revived in the school with the Mary MacKillop garden and library, the annual Mary MacKillop awards, and an increased focus on developing community awareness of her life and example. St Mary MacKillop is paid tribute to our school vision and mission. Each year, following the example of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop who said ‘Never see a need without doing something about it’, our children and parents become involved in a wide variety of social justice initiatives as a practical way to express and develop their faith.

Mission

  • With Christ as our teacher, we work toward a just and caring world.
  • With Mary our Mother we love and we serve.
  • With the example of Mary MacKillop, we use our talents to learn and make a positive difference in our world.

Vision

With hope in our hearts and a strong faith, we grow together in Christ to make a positive difference in our world.

Josephite Values

Respect, justice, courage, dignity, love, faithfulness, compassion.

Mater Dei Catholic Primary School BlakehurstThe Mater Dei Catholic Primary School Blakehurst and Mater Dei Catholic Parish, work closely together to create a strong and supportive faith community for families.  The connection between school and parish is fostered by the school family educator who supports family faith formation and families attending Sunday Mass through regular children’s liturgy. 

Parish priest, Father Thomas Alukka, the school religious education coordinator, family educator and church volunteers, work together to coordinate annual parish sacramental programs. The school principal and family educator are part of the Parish Pastoral Council and attend quarterly meetings to ensure regular communication and the fostering of a supportive parish/school partnership. 

The two parish primary schools, Mater Dei and St Raphael’s celebrate the ‘One Parish, One Family’ event in October each year celebrating Mass together and a picnic day at Carr’s Park.

Parish priest

Father Thomas Alukka

Mass Times

  • Saturday Vigil: 6.15pm
  • Sunday: 10.00am
  • Tuesday: 8.00am
  • Wednesday: 8.00am
  • Friday: 8:00am

Mater Dei Catholic Parish

Proudly Part of the Community of Sydney Catholic Schools

Our school is part of a system of 147 low-fee Catholic schools in the Sydney Archdiocese.

Sydney Catholic Schools are thriving Catholic communities that ignite a love of Christ through excellent teaching and learning to empower students to reach their full potential.