On 7 March, Irene McCormack Catholic College hosted a Pastoral Care Learning Forum for over 40 pastoral leaders from 16 Catholic secondary schools.
24 Mar 2025
Pastoral Care Learning Forum at Irene McCormack Catholic College
Some travelled from as far as Geraldton in the north and Bunbury in the south to come together for a professional learning day designed to boost connection and build capacity.
The Learning Forum provided schools’ pastoral middle leaders with an opportunity to engage in professional learning that targeted a range of pastoral specific concerns.
The content of the day was curated following feedback from Deputy Principals across WA regarding where their middle leaders need most support.
During the forum, middle leaders learned from renowned youth coach, Claire Eaton, regarding enhancing student wellbeing and increasing engagement and safety in our schools. They were addressed by CEWA Behaviour Support Consultant, Linda Daniel, regarding behaviour engagement, learning effective de-escalation strategies from the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO).
They also learned about the art of communication and managing challenging conversations with parents from Senior CEWA Psychologists Lyndsay Darwent Hunt and Jon Laden Wearne. These keynote addresses were accompanied by presentations from Mater Dei College, Mercy College, and Prendiville Catholic College, who shared some of the impressive pastoral behaviour engagement and attendance initiatives that they are currently implementing in their schools.
The day provided tangible skills for middle leaders in the pastoral space. The reception to the content and format of the forum has cemented the need to continue with the network of middle leaders established and provide further learning opportunities for this level of leadership.
“All of the sessions were extremely helpful as a middle leader. I especially enjoyed hearing from other colleagues about what works in their setting. It was worth the 3.5 hour drive back to Bunbury.” said Gerard Robertson, Bunbury Catholic College.
“The best parts of the day were the opportunity to network with peers, the expert presenters, and understanding how CEWA can support us in schools,” said Melissa Traeger, Sacred Heart College