The College has a Vertical House Structure, which is an important part of life at the College. The House is a students’ ‘home’ within the school, both in a physical and communal sense. Students identify themselves as a member of their House on a daily basis through Oratory sessions.
The House is coordinated by a House Leader and students remain in the one House throughout their time at Salesian. This continuity of House membership provides the opportunity for students, staff and parents to foster relationships with each other and provides parents with one key point of contact for the wellbeing of their daughters and sons over the six year period.
The House System offers many opportunities for students to gain experiences of leadership, and the need for mentoring of younger students is implicit in the structure. This allows for multiple sources of support and encouragement as students form new relationships.
Throughout the year, students experience many co-curricular and whole school activities through their membership in a House. This includes a range of sporting, performing arts, fundraising and other events where each House competes for points. Students attend House Assemblies to plan and organise these activities. At the end of the year, the ‘Papworth Cup’ is awarded to the House with the most points.
House Leader
The House Leader has the responsibility of overseeing a particular House. Matters of discipline, academic progress and other wellbeing needs are referred to the House Leader by the Oratory Leader.
Oratory Leader
The role of a Oratory Leader is to be a constant mentor and advocate throughout students' time at the College. The structure allows:
positive modelling of personal and social relationships;
fostering of empathy between students and their peers;
a sense of continuity and stability for students; and
every student to know that they have someone that knows them well, and to whom they can turn in times of duress.
Oratory Program & Positive Education Model
Our Oratory Program has been developed to provide an environment where young people are known and cared for on a more familiar level than their year level or House groups allow. The Oratory program allows for frequent, open communication with the students’ home and invites families to have greater involvement with the daily school life of their student(s).
Positive Education brings together the science of positive psychology with best-practice teaching. Through Positive Education, the skills of wellbeing are taught so that school communities and the individuals within them have every opportunity to thrive.
At Salesian College Sunbury we provide quality education in a community of faith. Our culture embodies our values of excellence and academic rigour, discipline and dedication, integrity and honesty, religion and generosity of spirit. Embedding whole-school Positive Education approaches with direct links to our values helps to promote a flourishing community, enabling our students to perform at their best
