Penola Catholic College is a coeducational secondary school in Broadmeadows with a pastoral focus and traditional, structured approach.
NAPLAN 15 points below national year-level averages and a median ATAR of 60.0; the result is a B- overall.
Penola Catholic College is a coeducational secondary school in Broadmeadows with a pastoral focus and traditional, structured approach. It offers CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), blending language acquisition with subject learning. The school is known for its strong junior and senior drama productions, which give students opportunity to perform and develop confidence. Suited to families wanting a values-based education with clear expectations and a tight-knit community feel.
Median ATAR 60.0 ranks #342 of 529 Victoria schools. Within Victoria Catholic schools, ranks #80 of 92.
Penola Catholic College has an overall SchoolRank score of 52.6/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 48/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1000, close to the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Penola Catholic College, Year 7 students averaged 534 across the tested NAPLAN domains, in line with the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 545, below the national average of 569 for that year level. National averages are specific to each year level, because NAPLAN scores are scaled so older year levels score higher, a school-wide average can't be compared with a single national figure.
Penola Catholic College is a large catholic secondary school with approximately 1,373 students. It offers education for years 7-12. As a catholic school, enrolment typically involves an application process. Contact the school directly for enrolment criteria, waiting lists, and open day information.
Penola Catholic College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9.0:1. This is well below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 33% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 90%, which is moderate.
Penola Catholic College has a median ATAR of 60.0. The Year 12 completion rate is 99%.
Penola Catholic College is located in Broadmeadows, VIC, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 1000 (47th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is around the national average. ICSEA measures the educational advantage of a school's community, not the school's quality, a lower ICSEA school with strong academic scores may indicate particularly effective teaching.