College News

This year, in our Primary School, we welcome back our students, staff, new staff and also our Heads of Primary, Mrs Christine Padua (PK – Y2) and Mrs Catherine Brunt (Y3 – Y6). Let’s get to know our new Heads of Primary and what drives their passion in education.

Mrs Christine Padua

With over two decades of experience in education across various settings, Mrs Padua has had the privilege of contributing to the development and growth of students in both government and Catholic schools. Throughout her career, she has held positions in education support, teaching and leadership in metro and regional schools, with her last role before joining St Brigid’s College as an  Assistant Principal in a regional Primary school in the Pilbara. Her passions include working collaboratively with staff, students and families to foster a supportive and inclusive learning environment while implementing strategies to enhance educational outcomes. Her diverse background and commitment to student success drives her ongoing dedication to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those she serves.

As a leader in early childhood education at St Brigid’s College, she is dedicated to promoting a philosophy that appreciates the importance of both explicit teaching and play-based learning experiences. Mrs Padua’s educational approach prioritises the seamless fusion of explicit teaching methods alongside immersive play-based activities to support holistic development and cultivate lifelong learners. This philosophy is imbedded in the recognition that young children thrive when they are actively engaged, curious, creative and collaborative. By harmonising these dual approaches, we strive to establish an educational atmosphere that fosters the comprehensive growth of every child, instilling them with a lasting passion for learning.

Mrs Catherine Brunt

Mrs Brunt has began her career in teaching 15 years ago and has worked within the Catholic Education across two Catholic school. In fact, she began her career at St Brigid’s College, where she had the opportunity to grow as a teacher and ignite her leadership training, in particular in inquiry-based learning. During her early years at St Brigid’s she collaborated with the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) to develop judging standards for Geography and Visual Art for the Primary School. More recently, over the past six years, she has been teaching at Sacred Heart Primary in Thornlie, where she served as Lead Teacher for the Talk 4 Writing and Digital Technologies teams. During her time there, Sacred Heart Primary, evolved as the model school for Talk 4 Writing and established an embedded Digital Technology program. This program has since expanded into a network involving seven local Catholic primary schools, fostering collaboration and the sharing of digital technology ideas among staff and students.

As a leader in the middle years of primary education, she is passionate about building upon the foundation of learning established in the early years and preparing students for the transition to high school and is committed to collaborating with students and parents to ensure that each student maximises their primary education experience. One of her priorities is to always challenge every student to seize the opportunities available to them, fostering resilience and communication skills to navigate challenges. Her educational approach focuses on guiding students to develop essential skills, apply them effectively, and take ownership of their learning journey as they evolve into 21st-century learners. By empowering students to understand their learning preferences and encouraging collaboration with family and teachers, we aim to cultivate a culture of lifelong learning and curiosity.