St Catherine's is a small Catholic school guided by St Catherine in Lalor West in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. The school was established in 1983 under the principalship of Sr Margaret McKenna, a member of the Sisters of Mercy, as the second school in the Parish of St Clare. The core values promoted at establishment continue today. St Catherine's values freedom and justice and regards its mission to be faithful to our Lord Jesus by reaching out to those in need. A unique feature of the school population is its cultural diversity. St Catherine's offers a high quality program with a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy. There is inquiry based learning from Prep to Year 6 and specialist programs in Italian, library, music and physical education. Students also participate in the kitchen garden program, netball, swimming, inter-school sport and a Year 4 to 6 camp program. Student well-being is regarded as an area of priority, with programs reflecting a proactive approach to behaviour management, ensuring that the school environment is safe, fair and friendly for all members of the community. The parent community is offered many opportunities to become involved with the school.