Principal’s Message

I warmly welcome you to St Francis of Assisi Regional Catholic Primary School Paddington. We are a dynamic and caring school community where our vision for learning, together in faith we soar to the extraordinary, underpins all that we do. Our school is nestled in the heart of the city and proudly boasts newly renovated, modern and flexible learning environments. 

Our dedicated and highly professional team are committed to providing a stimulating learning environment that caters for the individual needs of each student. We work as a team to ensure that we provide quality teaching and learning programs that are innovative, contemporary and instill a love of lifelong learning. We encourage our students to embrace a Growth Mindset in order to be empowered, innovative and interconnected learners.

I am proud to lead a school that is focused on nurturing the academic, social, emotional and spiritual development of each student. We pride ourselves on our strong focus on student wellbeing and the development of healthy and positive relationships. 

We invite you to come and visit our school. Please call our office to discuss tours and enrolments.

Nicole Hudson
Principal

St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School Paddington HistoryOur History
St Francis of Assisi was officially recorded as opening in 1883 by the Sisters of Charity despite there being a ‘tradition’ that from about 1866 a parish school in a timber church-school was operating on the site. In 1930 the present school building replaced the original church-school. In 1999 St Francis of Assisi was opened as the only Regional Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Sydney. This would consist of boys and girls in the nearby parishes of St Mary’s Cathedral, Darlinghurst, Edgecliff, Elizabeth Bay, Church Hill and Paddington. In 2018 major building works were completed to create new learning and recreational environments.

Our Charism
At St Francis of Assisi we are inspired by our Patron Saint St Francis of Assisi and the charism of the Sisters of Charity which is reflected in our school motto, ‘In Giving We Receive’. The charism of St Francis is to simply live the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is nurtured through opportunities in prayer, reflection and gratitude. The charism of the Sisters of Charity to share the love and concern of Christ is embraced through social justice initiatives.

Our Mission
At the heart of St Francis of Assisi Regional Catholic Primary School Paddington we are inspired by the spirit of our patron saints, St Francis of Assisi and St Clare and the charism of the Sisters of Charity. By following their example, we are called to be instruments of God’s love and peace. Inspired by the school motto ‘In Giving We Receive’, we are committed to the evangelising mission of the Church by actively fostering and nurturing our Catholic faith, tradition and culture within the life of our school and parish communities.

Our Vision
Our schoolwide pedagogy is based on the four pedagogical principles of:

  • Growth Mindset
  • Innovative
  • Empowered
  • Interconnected.

At St Francis of Assisi Regional Catholic Primary School Paddington, we soar to the extraordinary in our learning by:

  • embracing a GROWTH MINDSET, being open-minded, flexible in our learning, taking risks and being patient and persistent with tasks
  • being INNOVATIVE learners, taking risks, accepting challenges and using critical and creative thinking strategies 
  • being EMPOWERED learners, seeing the world as a classroom and being reflective about our learning
  • being INTERCONNECTED learners, being collaborative and demonstrating stewardship to others and the environment.

Click here for more information.

As the only Regional Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Sydney, we serve the parishes of:

  • St Francis of Assisi Paddington
  • St Joseph’s Edgecliff
  • St Canice’s Elizabeth Bay
  • Sacred Heart Darlinghurst
  • St Mary’s Cathedral
  • St Patrick’s Church Hill

We work with our parishes to nurture spirituality and faith formation within our school community and greater parish communities.

St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Paddington
A: 463 Oxford Street Paddington NSW 2021
P: (02) 9331 4043
E: office@stf-stj.com
W: stfrancis-stjoseph.com

Mass Times
Saturday: 5.30pm
Sunday: 8.30am, 10.00am (Sung Mass with choir)

St Joseph Catholic Church Edgecliff
A: 12 Albert St Edgecliff NSW 2027
P: (02) 9331 4043
E: office@stf-stj.com
W: stfrancis-stjoseph.com

Mass Times
Sunday: 7.30am, 11.00am, 5.30pm

St Canice’s Catholic Church Elizabeth Bay
A
: 28 Roslyn Street Elizabeth Bay NSW 2011
P: 9358 5229
E: parish@stcanice.com.au
W: stcanice.org.au

Mass Times
Saturday: 6.00pm
Sunday: 8.30am, 10.30am
Tuesday: 7.00am
Wednesday and Thursday: 9.00am
Friday: 12.00pm

St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney
A: 2 St Mary’s Road Sydney NSW 2000
P: (02) 9220 0400
E: info@stmaryscathedral.org.au
W: stmaryscathedral.org.au

Mass Times
Saturday: 9.00am, 12.00pm, 6.00pm
Sunday: 7.00am, 9.00am, 10:30am (Solemn Choral Mass), 12:15pm (Latin Mass), 6.00pm
Monday – Friday: 6.45am, 1.10pm, 5.30pm

St Patrick’s Catholic Church Sydney
A: 141 Harrington Street Sydney NSW 2000
P: (02) 9254 9855
E: office@stpatschurchhill.org
W: www.stpatschurchhill.org

Mass Times
Saturday: 8.00am, 12.00pm
Sunday: 8.00am, 10.00am, 11.00am, 12.00pm, 3.00pm, 4.00pm
Monday – Friday: 8.00am, 10.30am, 12.00pm

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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.