History of OLR - Our Lady of Rosary, Shelly Beach
Our School

History of OLR

Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School, The Entrance, is a Catholic Co-educational Primary School within the Diocese of Broken Bay.

The school is an integral part of The Entrance Parish. It has a history that stems as far back as November 17, 1952 when it opened its doors in Copnor Ave to 117 pupils. The school grew quickly over the next decade and more classes were established to cater for its growing population.

When Father Reynolds became parish priest in 1953, he saw a need to provide more space for its 294 pupils. In 1974 and after serious consideration and consultation, Father Reynolds, along with Sister Patricia Snell and school staff, decided to build a new school at Shelly Beach. On 19 November, 1974, the school was blessed and opened by Father Reynolds.

The school operated as two separate campuses for the next twenty six years. The Entrance School was the infant students and the Shelly Beach campus catered for the primary students. Over the years this catered for the growing school population but made the sharing of resources and communication between campuses difficult. It was decided that both campuses would come together and base themselves at Shelly Beach. On 29 November, 2000, Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School united at one campus, on the current Shelly Beach site.

Currently, Our Lady of the Rosary School, The Entrance, has 18 classrooms catering for the academic and spiritual needs of more than 450 children. With the support of our Catholic Community, we enjoy an environment where teachers, children and parents work together to build an atmosphere of quality Catholic education.