Saint Raphael’s Catholic School is a catholic, co-educational school situated in Cowra, a regional town in the Central West of NSW. Located in Wiradjuri Country, on the banks of the Lachlan River, the school draws students from the wider Lachlan Valley. Saint Raphael’s Catholic School has a total enrolment of 437 students from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Saint Raphael’s was accredited to deliver the NSW Higher School Certificate in 2016 and at that time, expanded to include Years 11 and 12. With a diverse student cohort from remote regional areas, Saint Raphael’s recognised the need to develop an engaging and relevant curriculum for senior secondary students as well as providing individual pathway mentoring. As a result, the school has increased its incorporation of vocational education.

Saint Raphael’s currently delivers the Certificate II in Agriculture, Certificate II in Kitchen Operations, Certificate II in Construction Pathways, and the General Construction Induction Training. The school also actively encourages School based Apprenticeships and Traineeships by providing a flexible timetable that supports the needs of both students and their employers.

Saint Raphael’s partners with a number of local hospitality, construction, and primary industry businesses in order to facilitate training and workplace experience. It continues to work with industry partners despite the challenges of drought, bushfires and most recently a mouse plague in the area. Saint Raphael’s recognises the significance of its collaborations with agricultural businesses despite the impacts of recent natural disasters and continues to facilitate strong VET for students throughout these challenges.