The cornerstone of our senior school wellbeing program is our House System.
Allocated at the beginning of their journey at St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar, a girl's House provides her with a constant throughout her time at the school. Students with relatives who are at or have previously attended the school are allocated to the same House forming strong familial links to the history of our School.
A House is a multi-age grouping of students from different year levels who support each other and compete together against other Houses in the variety of sports and activities. The House System is designed to foster a strong sense of belonging as well as a key point through which our Empower program is delivered. The House system instils the school’s values of Character, Courage, Curiosity, and Respect, while fostering multi-year level relations through formal and informal mentor groups.
Each House is managed by a dedicated team of teachers led by a Head of House. The vertical nature of the House system means that House staff truly get to know each student throughout their time at the school. This approach varies from year level wellbeing management, which relies on different staff members taking over a student’s wellbeing and can mean nuances are missed as pupil changes year level.
Each Head of House is supported by the Head of Wellbeing, whose role is to build sustainable frameworks that engage the students and ensure their progression through the school. The Heads of House and Wellbeing are highly visible hands-on roles that are key touchpoints students and parents.
Day to day wellbeing through the House System is managed by a student’s mentor. Each girl is placed in a House affiliated multi-year level mentor group which is run by a teacher (mentor) and becomes the girl’s ‘homeroom’.
Our Houses
Houses named after significant benefactors, former Presidents of the St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar Council and former Principals of the School. The three Houses in the Senior Girls school are:
Cunningham (red)
Gipson (yellow)
Campbell (blue)
Students have a network of staff and older students within their House for the duration of their time at the school, from whom they can seek advice and support. House staff get to know students and their families closely, follow the development of individual students within their House, and through their St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar journey.