Community & Business
12 November, 2025
St Francis Catholic College opening in 2027
Construction is set to begin in the coming months on the new St. Francis Catholic College in Westbrook with the school to open for the 2027 school year.
Located on the corner of Shoesmith Road and Boundary Street South, the first stage of the College is set to open in January 2027 for Prep to Year 3 and Year 7 students.
Announced a few years ago, St. Francis Catholic College was originally set to open in 2026.
Toowoomba Catholic Schools made the latest announcement last week following the Queensland Government’s approval of capital funding.
Described by Toowoomba Catholic Schools as a significant investment in Toowoomba’s future, the development includes state-of-the-art facilities to meet the growing demand for Catholic education in the region.
St. Francis Catholic College will be a co-educational K–12 school, designed to provide modern, progressive classrooms, specialist and sporting facilities that will promote and encourage learning excellence, faith formation and community engagement.
Most Reverend Ken Howell, Bishop of Toowoomba, said the new school will complement the other 32 Catholic schools and colleges across the Diocese and reflects a serious commitment to provide high-quality and affordable Catholic education for families in Westbrook and surrounds.
“With St. Francis of Assisi as its patron, this College will become a place where faith, learning and community flourish together,” Bishop Howell said.
Executive Director: Catholic Schools, Dr Pat Coughlan, said this funding is a vital step forward in delivering on the vision of being a leading Diocese in learning outcomes, innovation and reform.
“Our aim is for St. Francis Catholic College to be a place of wonder, a spark that awakens curiosity, deepens faith and inspires compassionate action, a place where students are known, valued and challenged to reach their full potential,” Dr Coughlan said.
“We are grateful for the State Government’s support and look forward to working with the community as we bring this significant project to life.”
The St. Francis Catholic College announcement will be of interest to supporters of Fernleigh, a master planned community on the northern side of Shoesmith Road, designed by Hallmark Property to deliver 1,500 residential lots.
First proposed back in 2016, the development had been stagnant since 2019 after Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) sought changes which would have made the project financially unviable for the developers.
Late last year, Fernleigh Properties Pty Ltd sought a Preliminary Approval – Variation Request with TRC.
This initial proposal concerns a nine hectare parcel of land adjacent to the western portion of Shoesmith Road, the same road on which St. Francis Catholic College will be located.
This Preliminary Approval – Variation Request application is still under assessment by TRC.
