Co-ed Catholic, Mercy heritage Victoria Park, Perth 1899 origins

Ursula Frayne Catholic College.

Co-educational Catholic K-12 college in Victoria Park, with Sisters of Mercy origins traceable to 1899. The current college was formed in 1990 by merging St Joachim's primary, St Joachim's secondary, and Xavier College.

Inside Ursula Frayne

Ursula Frayne Catholic College's heritage stretches back to 1899, when a group of Sisters of Mercy led by Mother M Clare Buggy arrived in Western Australia from Derry, Northern Ireland. Their first school was established in a wooden cottage on the current site of the Duncan Street Campus, known as St Joachim's. The Sisters opened a secondary school in 1926 under the name Our Lady of Mercy College, and a separate primary school for East Victoria Park (Our Lady Help of Christians) in 1936.

The college takes its name from Ursula Frayne (born Clara Mary Frayne, Dublin 1817), who was Mother Superior of the Mercy Mission that began in Western Australia in 1846 and opened the first secondary school in WA. Trained by Catherine McAuley (foundress of the Sisters of Mercy), Frayne is a significant figure in Australian Catholic education history.

The current Ursula Frayne Catholic College was formed in 1990 through the amalgamation of St Joachim's High School, St Joachim's Primary School, and Xavier College into a single co-educational institution from Kindergarten to Year 12. The school today operates across two campuses in Victoria Park and East Victoria Park.

What Ursula Frayne is known for

Sisters of Mercy heritage

The college's lineage to the 1899 Sisters of Mercy and to Ursula Frayne herself gives the school a deep place in WA Catholic education. The heritage isn't decorative; it shapes the school's social-justice and pastoral framing.

Co-educational Catholic option

One of the few Perth Catholic schools that has been co-educational for the full senior school for decades. For Catholic families wanting co-ed, Ursula Frayne is one of the obvious choices.

Heritage campus precinct

The Mercy Convent and college form an important heritage precinct in Victoria Park, listed on the State Heritage Office register, including St Joachim's Hall, Church and Presbytery alongside the school campus.

Inner-Perth Catholic option

Close to the CBD by Catholic-school standards. For families east or south of the Swan, the school is more accessible than the bigger Catholic schools further west.

Things to consider

Ursula Frayne isn't the right fit for every student. Here are the genuine tradeoffs to think through, drawn from publicly available information about the school.

Catholic foundation, central not optional

Religion is a curriculum subject, masses and chapel-style events are part of the school year, and the Mercy ethos is central. For non-Catholic families, this is worth understanding.

Independent Catholic fees

Fees sit in the mid-tier independent Catholic range. Plan for tuition plus uniforms, camps, and co-curricular costs. Sibling discounts and other supports exist; check directly.

Smaller senior school than top performers

The Year 11-12 cohort is smaller than the largest Catholic schools, which can mean fewer ATAR subjects offered at the top end. Worth checking subject availability for your senior plan.

Two-campus model

Junior and senior campuses sit close to each other but separately. The transition between campuses needs consideration if both year levels are involved.

The ATAR pathway at Ursula Frayne

Ursula Frayne students take broad ATAR pathways. Most common: Pre-medicine (Methods + Chemistry + Human Bio + English), Health sciences (Methods or Apps + Chemistry + Human Bio + Psychology), Commerce (Methods + Economics + English + a science), and Humanities / Arts (Literature + History + Religion and Life + a Language).

Curtin University (geographically close) and UWA are the dominant tertiary destinations, with Notre Dame Fremantle a meaningful Catholic-pathway destination, particularly for arts and theology streams.

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From Ursula Frayne to our Bentley centre

About 3 to 4 km from our Bentley centre, an 8-minute drive via Albany Highway. Many Ursula Frayne students live closer to our centre than to Curtin, which makes the after-school weekly slot clean.

Tutoring built for Ursula Frayne students.

Small-group ATAR classes at our Bentley centre or live online, for the subjects Ursula Frayne students are actually sitting. Free trial class, no card required.

Ursula Frayne Catholic College questions

Common questions from Ursula Frayne Catholic College families

How far is Ursula Frayne Catholic College from Educatta's centres?

About 3 to 4 km from our Bentley centre, an 8-minute drive via Albany Highway. Many Ursula Frayne students live closer to our centre than to Curtin, which makes the after-school weekly slot clean.

Does Educatta tutor the subjects Ursula Frayne Catholic College students typically take?

Yes. Educatta tutors all the major ATAR subjects Ursula Frayne Catholic College students are sitting: Mathematics Methods, Mathematics Applications, English, Chemistry, Physics, and Human Biology. Year 11 and 12 students from Ursula Frayne Catholic College can attend small-group classes at our Bentley centre, or live online from anywhere in WA.

Can Ursula Frayne Catholic College students attend Educatta classes after school?

Yes. Most of our weekly classes run between 4:00pm and 8:30pm on weekdays, with weekend slots also available. Ursula Frayne Catholic College's school day finishes in time for students to arrive at our Bentley centre for after-school weekly classes.