Headquarters:
17 Comer Street, Burwood, NSW 2134
Year founded:
2010
Number of employees:
54
Phone:
837 24400
Email:
info@sccc.catholic.edu.au
Website:
sccc.syd.catholic.edu.au
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/southern-cross-catholic-vocational-college
Tammy Prestage
Principal
David Matheson
Assistant Principal
Lynette Toohey
Leader of Religious Education, Faith and Ministry
Leadership
A dynamic and visionary educator, Tammy Prestage brings over 30 years of experience to her role as principal, joining Southern Cross Catholic College in 2023. With a distinguished background in vocational education and pathways innovation, she believes in the power of education to transform lives.
Prestage is a relational, future-focused and innovative leader who inspires students and staff to dream big and act boldly, challenging complacency and re-imagining learning. She is committed to developing bespoke programs and opportunities that recognise each learner’s strengths and aspirations, shaping a vibrant and inclusive community where every student can grow, thrive and experience success.
Principal
Tammy Prestage
David Matheson joined the Southern Cross family in 2025 as assistant principal following a broad range of educational leadership experiences. Having led Independent and Systemic Schools across greater Sydney for over 20 years, he brings a diversity of experience in curriculum, wellbeing, operational and faith leadership domains.
Matheson holds bachelor’s degrees in arts and teaching as well as master’s degrees in educational leadership and religious education. He is passionate about relational leadership, high expectations and emerging opportunities for young people through technology. His service as an Officer of Cadets for over 25 years with the Australian Army Cadets reflects his commitment to growing the whole person.
Assistant Principal
David Matheson
Lyne Toohey is an experienced Catholic educator whose leadership is shaped by a commitment to developing the whole person. Holding a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Theological Studies, she brings expertise in curriculum, wellbeing and religious education, ensuring students are equipped with the knowledge, values and skills to thrive beyond school.
As a Dame Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Toohey actively supports the Catholic Church’s educational mission in the Holy Land. Passionate about purposeful learning, she is dedicated to helping every student graduate with confidence, compassion and an education they can apply throughout their lives.
Leader of Religious Education, Faith and Ministry
Lynette Toohey
Kahlie Sleiman
Leader of Learning and Pedagogy
Appointed leader of learning and pedagogy in 2025, Kahlie Sleiman brings over a decade of Catholic educational leadership, marked by data-driven success and strong HSC outcomes. In her role, she models high-impact teaching practices and lives them within the College community, grounded by strong rapport, individualised support and a commitment to nurturing each student’s passions and talents.
Sleiman’s work spans curriculum design and professional development, and she is a frequent speaker, writer, and proud Maronite Catholic who embodies servant leadership. Her passion for teaching and learning helps build a culture of growth and excellence across the College.
Leader of Learning and Pedagogy
Kahlie Sleiman
Paul Newman
Leader of Student Wellbeing and Houses
Paul Newman has been at Southern Cross since joining the college in its foundation year of 2010. He has held various roles in the college and is currently the leader of student wellbeing and houses, a position he has held for the last five years. Newman moved into teaching following a previously successful 10-year career in the advertising industry in both Sydney and London.
He is passionate about nurturing young people’s wellbeing to assist them in achieving success in their chosen careers and life pathways. He is a believer in media education and the role this plays in contemporary society, enabling his students to become both informed consumers and producers of digital media.
Leader of Student Wellbeing and Houses
Paul Newman
Paul Arundel
Leader of Strategic Improvement and Culture
Phil Ruxton
Leader of VET and Innovation
Reverend Jeremy Clark
Senior Chaplain
Pam Chhabra
Manager – Residential Strata
Paul Arundel joined Southern Cross in 2025, bringing with him 28 years of dedicated service to Catholic education. Beginning as a passionate PDHPE teacher, he has grown into a respected leader whose influence spans across administration, wellbeing and curriculum.
Now leading strategic improvement and culture, Arundel draws on a wealth of experience, a master’s degree in educational leadership and ongoing study in a master’s of religious education. His calm presence, deep commitment to students and love of learning continue to shape a school culture grounded in faith, growth and authentic community.
Leader of Strategic Improvement and Culture
Paul Arundel
Phil Ruxton joined Southern Cross in 2024 as leader of VET and innovation, bringing 26 years of experience in systemic schools across Sydney. His expertise spans curriculum development, student wellbeing and operational leadership. Ruxton currently serves as the leader of vocational education and training (VET) coordinator, where he promotes industry-aligned learning pathways and practical skill development.
Holding a postgraduate certificate in pastoral care leadership, he is committed to relational leadership, fostering high expectations and integrating technology to support emerging opportunities for youth. Ruxton’s work reflects a deep dedication to holistic education and future-focused student growth.
Leader of VET and Innovation
Phil Ruxton
Reverend Jeremy Clark serves as the Senior Chaplain at Arndell Anglican College, guiding the spiritual heartbeat and cultural ethos of the school community. Leading the Chaplaincy and Biblical Studies team, Reverend Clark is dedicated to the core mission of leading with faith. He oversees chapel services, supports student wellbeing, and implements a thoughtful biblical studies curriculum across all year levels.
Reverend Clark’s collaborative leadership fosters an authentic, respectful environment where students can explore the Christian faith, ask deep questions and grow into principled, compassionate leaders who are deeply grounded in their values.
Senior Chaplain
Reverend Jeremy Clark
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Commercial Manager
Stephen McMillan
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Adam Basaldella
Manager – Claims
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Product Manager
Claire Watson
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Commercial Manager
Stephen McMillan
“We also maintain open lines of communication with advisers so they know what to expect and can plan accordingly”
Hayley Burgess, ANZ Bank New Zealand
“We’ve invested heavily in resourcing and process improvements to reduce friction and speed up approvals”
Hayley Burgess, ANZ Bank New Zealand
Southern Cross Catholic College set out to reimagine the final years of school around a strong belief: that education should prepare young people for life and employment, not examinations alone. The purpose-built Years 10 to 12 college, part of Sydney Catholic Schools, has rebuilt the senior secondary experience around that idea.
Students work towards their HSC while completing nationally recognised vocational qualifications, with one day each week set aside for authentic workplace learning through apprenticeships, traineeships or paid employment. Vocational learning sits at the centre of the model. The college offers almost 30 Certificate II and III qualifications, taught in industry-standard facilities including automotive workshops, commercial kitchens, healthcare simulation spaces, recording studios, media suites, fitness centres and beauty salons. Its facilitators have worked in the fields they teach, as chefs, nurses, mechanics, builders, beauty therapists, media professionals and fitness specialists, giving students exposure to genuine industry practice rather than just classroom theory.
The school’s approach deliberately challenges traditional career stereotypes by encouraging students to pursue pathways based on passion and potential rather than gender norms. Initiatives such as the Women in Trades Conference and Try Your Passion days, support students to pursue careers aligned to their interests and strengths, whether in construction, automotive, fitness or in early childhood education, beauty or allied health. Enrolment is open to students from across Greater Sydney through both full-time and shared enrolment programs, and affordable fees keep vocational education within reach for a broad range of learners.
The past year’s central strategy has been the development of Southern Cross Academy, which encourages students to study industry-recognised micro-credentials and short courses further enhancing their HSC experience and building on the college’s early commencement of HSC and VET studies. It has been complemented by Financial Success, an internally designed program developing financial capability and entrepreneurship, and a bespoke Literacy Success Program that ties literacy to each vocational industry. Together they widen the competitive advantage graduates carry into the workforce.
Support is built on a simple principle: every student should be known, valued and supported. Learners belong to small pastoral care groups within a vertical house structure, backed by leaders, wellbeing staff, counsellors, teachers and careers advisers, so each student has several trusted adults to turn to. Personalised pathway planning, literacy intervention, ATAR mentoring and apprenticeship support complete the experience. Beyond formal qualifications, students build employability skills, leadership, resilience and a spirit of service through mentoring and service programs, part of a relational culture the college refers to as the Southern Cross Family.
The college is led by principal Tammy Prestage and assistant principal David Matheson, whose co-principalship model has driven the innovation, industry partnerships and enrolment growth behind its recent recognition, including Australian Education Awards Secondary School of the Year in the non-government category and The Educator’s 5-Star Innovative School award in 2025. Most recently, Southern Cross won the Best Secondary School (Non-Government) accolade at the Australian Education Awards for the second time in a row.
For Southern Cross, the measure of a graduate is not a mark but a start: a confident young adult leaving with the HSC, nationally recognised qualifications and real-world experience, ready for employment, further study or whatever comes next.
