Pastoral Care in Secondary

Pastoral Care
in Secondary

"Pastoral Care at Loreto establishes the caring educational environment
we know is so important for young people to flourish, and places the
student at the centre of all we do."
Sally Munro, Director of Pastoral Care

From the Director of Pastoral Care

Our Pastoral Approach

The main aim of Pastoral Care in both the Day School and Boarding School at Loreto Normanhurst is to provide a caring educational environment where positive relationships are developed and where each girl is known and cared for as an individual. Social and emotional learning is fostered to develop each student’s capacity to be self and socially aware, embrace resilience, make responsible decisions, and contribute positively to relationships. These skills are essential protective factors for well-being and support students to flourish across the entire FACE curriculum.

Students are guided in living out the Loreto and Gospel values of the School, to give back to others with generosity, to find joy in both triumph and challenge, and to understand who they are and the uniqueness they can offer.

Pastoral Support

Our House System

The strong Pastoral Program of our Secondary School is fostered by our close-knit House system. Each student is part of one of our eight Houses which consist of seven Tutor Groups. Tutor Groups are organised vertically with students from Year 7 to 12, which encourages a sense of connection and friendship across year groups. Each Tutor Group is in the care of a Tutor, and each House is in the care of a Head of House who oversees all aspects of a student’s care and education across the FACE Curriculum – Faith, Academic, Community and Extra-Curricular. In addition to a Tutor, students in Year 7 and 8 have an Advisor, who is also their Integrated Learning teacher, to assist with the transition into Secondary School.

Conversations and Holistic Plenaries

Students meet regularly with their Tutor or Advisor during 1:1 scheduled ‘Conversations,’ a unique feature of our Pastoral Care model. During a Conversation, students reflect on their growth, challenges and goals across Faith, Academic, Community and Extra-Curricular. Students also participate in an annual Holistic Plenary meeting at which they lead a conversation with their parents and Advisor or Tutor.

School Counsellors

Holistic care is provided to all students by onsite registered nurses, visiting doctors and school counsellors at our Mary Ward Health and Wellness Centre on school grounds.

The School’s counselling service is available daily within school hours to all students, and after hours to boarding students.

Pastoral Programs

The Pastoral Curriculum is evidence-informed and takes a strength-based, preventative approach. Protective factors for wellbeing are enhanced by developing students' sense of belonging and connectedness, incorporating social and emotional learning, and fostering a supportive environment and School culture.

OakSEED Program

The Loreto Normanhurst OakSEED (Social and Emotional Educational Development) Program was crafted in close consultation with clinical psychologist Dr Danielle Einstein and strengthens our whole-school approach to wellbeing. OakSEED incorporates the development of interrelated social and emotional capacities; self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.

‘It Takes a Village’ Program for families

A strong partnership between our School and parents is of utmost importance to us at Loreto Normanhurst. Parents are firmly involved in their daughter’s learning and Pastoral development through regular Plenary Meetings with teachers and Tutors/Advisors. We are also pleased to offer a series of expert seminars and workshops through our Parent Engagement and Education program.

Leadership in Secondary
A range of opportunities are offered to students to demonstrate leadership in the Secondary School.

Year 12 Student Council

The Year 12 Student Council includes the following formally appointed roles: School Captain, School Vice-Captain, Boarder Captain, Boarder Vice-Captain, eight House Captains and nine Extra-Curricular Captains (Academic Activities Captain, Communications/SRC Captain, Creative Arts Captain, Ecology Captain, Liturgy Captain, Music Captain, Performing Arts Captain, Social Justice Captain, Sports Captain).

Year 12 House Council

Within each House, a number of Year 12 House Council roles are appointed: Liturgy Leader, Social Justice Leader, Performing Arts Leader, Music Leader, Sport Leader, Communication Leader, Academic Activities Leader, Creative Arts Leader, Ecology Leader.

Student Representative Council

The student representative Council consists of students democratically elected by their peers in Year 8 – 10. In each House, one student from each year group is elected to the SRC. The SRC addresses relevant issues and initiatives for the benefit of the whole student body.

Student Ambassadors

Students from Year 9-11 are selected to be Student Ambassadors. These Students are responsible for leading school tours throughout the year for future families.

Our 2023 School Leaders

L-R: School Captain, Frances O'Brien,
and School Vice Captain, Lucy Dalton

L-R: Boarding Vice Captain, Molly Lindsay,
and Boarding Captain, Annika Jamieson