The College family-centred approach to holistic education signifies that student wellbeing is of paramount importance. This focus on wellbeing embraces the physical, emotional, psychological, intellectual, social and spiritual dimensions of each young man’s life.

Seeking and affirming the dignity of each person is at the heart of pastoral care. Underpinned by Gospel values, an ethos of care exists to help ensure the formation of men of action. Our pastoral care system helps support our young men as they strive to be men of faith, men of learning and men of humility. 

House System 

Students of St Patrick's are welcomed into one of nine Houses as a means to develop spiritually, emotionally, physically and intellectually. 

The vertical House system is the foundation of pastoral care at St Patrick’s. Our College values the fostering of positive relationships as the key factor in the development of the whole person and therefore our House system is responsible for student welfare, student behaviour and intra-school competition (academic, sporting and cultural). 

The House system provides students with a feeling of comradeship and a sense of belonging from the day they enter St Patrick’s. There are nine houses at the College, each looked after by a House Dean who is supported by individual Group Tutors. The House system also provides leadership opportunities for young men from Years 5 - 12. The vertical Tutor Group (consisting of students from Years 5 to 12) is an integral component in developing an environment of trust, support and friendship for our young men.

BIG BROTHER - LITTLE BROTHER PROGRAM

Central to our sense of family is our ‘Big Brother / Little Brother’ program, pairing senior students with Year 5 and Year 7 students when they begin at the College. More broadly, the Program aims to assist new students to the College to familiarise themselves with school procedures; by providing a friend for the new students who will also be able to help them make friends around the College; and by offering a point of contact for new students if they encounter problems during the early stages of their time at the College. For many young men the special bond of brotherhood fostered by the program, between a new student and a senior student, will continue well after he has left the College.

“My big brother, Callum showed me around the school and helped me when I got lost. I couldn’t be happier, I am grateful to know I will always have someone like Callum to turn to.”
Harrison, Year 5

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Student leadership is a journey that all students are encouraged to undertake, from Years 5 to 12. The action of leading other students is not merely the responsibility of the seniors of the school: all students at the College have the potential and the ability to be leaders in some way. As a result, St Patrick’s College aims to ultimately produce student leaders who are young men with a demonstrated history of service and commitment to leading in a manner that reflects the Edmund Rice ethos. They are good role models in and out of the classroom and have been actively engaged in broader College life.

Student Formation

The cultural characteristics of Edmund Rice Education Australia form the cornerstone on which the student formation program is developed and implemented. Programs are operated on a Year level basis and strive to develop one's relationship with God and others, self-esteem, mental and physical well-being and leadership skills.

Features of the Student Formation Program

• Liturgical Studies
• Sacramental Program
• Social Justice
• Study Habits
• Camps & Retreats
• Emotional & Mental Health
• Physical Well-Being
• Relationships
• The Rite Journey

THE RITE JOURNEY

Recognising the significant period of emotional and physical growth in Year 9, all young men in Year 9 participate in the Rite Journey program as an additional part of their personal formation. The Rite Journey is a unique educational program designed to support the development of self-aware, vital, responsible and resilient adults. The Rite Journey reinvents the traditional process of a Rite of Passage to assist in transforming the adolescent from dependency to responsibility.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION CAMPS

We offer a sequence of age appropriate camps which have been specifically designed to build resilience, confidence and friendships. The Year 5 camp ‘Friends, Mud and Surf’ and the Year 7 camp ‘Positive Group Relations and Increased Self-Confidence’, are held early in Term 1 to ensure as a community we have the best opportunity to create and strengthen friendships for the year ahead. All students are required to participate in camp experiences from Years 5 to 9.

ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAM

Our Anti-Bullying program runs for the entire year with Week 4 of every term being our ‘Men of Action Week’. The Week 4 program involves all students stopping classes at the same time to undergo a lesson run by their Group Tutor and our Year 12 students. This lesson covers anti-bullying strategies, and an explanation of the action students should take if they see, or are a target, of bullying. The St Patrick’s College Anti-Bullying program challenges those young men who are not bullies or targets, to play a powerful role in reshaping the inappropriate behaviours of others.

TO SEE OUR 2019 ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN, CLICK THE LINK BELOW