Carlo Acutis Catholic Primary School is named in recognition of a young man who was born in London and raised in Milan. Carlo’s parents were not particularly religious but upon receiving his first communion at age seven, Carlo became a frequent communicant, making a point of praying before the tabernacle before or after every Mass.

At school Carlo tried to comfort friends whose parents were undergoing divorce, as well as stepping in to defend disabled students from bullies. After school hours he volunteered his time with the city’s homeless and destitute. Carlo spent four years creating a website dedicated to cataloguing every reported Eucharistic miracle around the world. He also enjoyed films, comics, soccer, and playing popular video games.

Diagnosed with leukemia, Carlo offered his sufferings to God for the intentions of the sitting pope—Benedict XVI—and the entire Church. His longtime desire to visit as many sites of Eucharistic miracles as possible was cut short by his illness. Carlo died in 2006 and was beatified in 2020.

As he had wished, Carlo was buried in Assisi at St. Maria Maggiore, where Saint Francis had returned his clothes to his father and began following the Gospel.

Among the thousands present for Carlo’s beatification at Assisi’s Basilica of St. Francis were many of his childhood friends. Presiding at the beatification service, Cardinal Agostino Vallini praised Carlo as an example of how young people can use technology to spread the Gospel “to reach as many people as possible and help them know the beauty of friendship with the Lord.”

His liturgical feast is celebrated on October 12. 

The planning for the new school predominately began in 2021. Land was purchased in Jardin Road, Wollert West with the intention to build a Catholic Primary school that would educate up to 550 students in the future years. The school is the 4th school within the vibrant St Peter’s Parish, Epping, under the guidance of Father Anh Nguyen.

The school is opening in four stages, the first stage opens in January 2025 and offers education to students in Foundation to Year 6. Enrolments for 2025 will open on March 1 2024. We have the capacity to enrol between 150-170 students in the first stage.

Stage 1 includes:

● Flexible General Learning Areas
● A welcoming administrative space
● Well-equipped specialist learning areas
● Play spaces
● Adventure play area
● Landscaping

Ultimately, the school will consist of three single-storey buildings, including landscaped gardens, a basketball court, soccer field, playgrounds and open spaces for the students to play. Each building will have a specific purpose and these include classroom spaces, open areas, specialist areas as well as designated office spaces and staff rooms. It is anticipated that the buildings will be joined by covered areas so that students can move between them irrespective of weather.

Carlo Acutis Catholic Primary School offers a broad curriculum, ensuring that all children have the tools to succeed.

Religious Education holds a central place in the curriculum at Carlo Acutis Catholic Primary School, as it reflects, celebrates and promotes our Catholic identity. The primary source for developing our Religious Education program will be the Religious Education Curriculum Framework, developed by our governing body, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS).

The school will also offers extracurricular subjects such as Physical Education, Languages other than English, Art and Science. Other extracurricular activities will be added to the curriculum as the school continues to grow.

We will work tirelessly as a school to ensure that Carlo Acutis Catholic Primary School, Wollert West is a valued and prominent part of the Wollert West community and is the Heart of the Rathdowne Estate!