A highly qualified team works closely with house mentors and the Life Orientation department to ensure the well-being of every girl. The team provides emotional assessment and support, parent guidance and teacher support, and can assist with referrals to outside psychologists and other professionals where indicated.

Informative Muse Mornings are hosted in the Wantage auditorium during the term, to which professionals are invited to discuss relevant parenting issues.

Peer counselling

The peer counsellor forms an important part of the support and pastoral care structures at St Mary’s.

Each peer counsellor:

• Undergoes in-depth counselling training with Deborah Ashdown and Associates
• Offers counselling and support to her peer group via one–on-one personal contact, SMS and email
• Runs projects in the school on issues that are relevant to the entire St Mary’s community
• Puts together assemblies targeting relevant friendship, social or community issues
• Helps to organise and maintain Forms I and V buddy system events throughout the year. This system pairs each Form I girl with a Form V girl, to assist each new girl to adjust to Senior School life
• Is approachable, caring and a good listener
• Maintains confidentiality

Careers at St Mary’s

St Mary’s adopts a holistic approach to career education and development, which involves an integrated learning programme in Life Orientation from Form I through to Form V. A large support team is involved in the development of this learning programme, together with individualised support at the school’s counselling and career centre. Our aim as a team is to contribute towards the development of each young woman at St Mary’s such that she takes charge of her own future, has the power to make informed choices and is confident that she can navigate her way independently in the world of work that awaits her.

Self-awareness is introduced in Form I and explored in increasing depth until Form IV.