At the heart of our support network is a pastoral care framework that encourages partnership between students, staff and parents/guardians to better our student experience of purpose and belonging, and boost communication between students and staff.

Our supportive staff takes a professional and personable approach to the social and emotional wellbeing of our students. St Rita’s is a school where the individual is nurtured, and obstacles are overcome together.

Central to our pastoral care program is a vertical House structure to enable each girl to be recognised as an integral part of the College community. Our House system is the hallmark of the personal formation of our girls and a central component of daily, cocurricular and general activity life at St Rita’s. Our eight Houses celebrate, encourage, support and nurture each individual to do and be their best. Each House also provides opportunities to look beyond self, supporting a Presentation Ministry and a Wellbeing initiative.

Each House has a staff member appointed as Head of House who is responsible for the monitoring of the spiritual, academic and social wellbeing of each student. There are six House Groups within each House, each supported by a House Group Teacher and each bring together students from each Year level. In cultivating a considerate and sharing school community, students remain with their House Group throughout their time at St Rita’s and build friendships across the Year levels.

A longstanding tradition at St Rita’s is the ‘Big Sister/Little Sister’ program, which pairs each incoming Year 7 girl with a Year 12 girl. This program provides a point of communication and orientation for each young Year 7 girl from late Term 4 the year before commencement at St Rita’s, right through to first day and beyond, and facilitates the settling in of our new students to their new learning environment and routines with greater comfort and ease.

Daughters of Past Students are generally allocated to the same House of their mother, if known. Siblings are also placed in the same House unless otherwise requested.