Welcome to St Mary's College, Ipswich
I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to everyone in our St Mary's College community and a special welcome to those students and families planning to join us for the first time. I hope you quickly feel the sense of belonging and shared purpose that makes our College such a special place.
With 163 years of Mercy tradition behind us, St Mary's College continues to shape young women of strength, curiosity and compassion just as Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy envisioned. Our core values of respect, integrity, compassion, courage, hospitality and wisdom are woven into everything we do, grounded in the teachings of Catherine McAuley and the teachings of Jesus.
“We must strive to do ordinary things, extraordinarily well."
— Catherine McAuley
This year, our College theme is Compassion. It is a value that guides our relationships and our work, keeping students at the centre of all we do. Our Year 12 students have beautifully captured this with their guiding statement for 2025: “Compassion starts with a kind heart." As educators, we are called to model this every day in our words, our actions and our high expectations of ourselves and each other.
At St Mary's, we believe every student should be known by name and by story. This sense of belonging is at the heart of our mission. We are committed to creating a learning environment where every young woman is seen, heard and supported to flourish. Our Mercy education is both holistic and rigorous and in partnership with families, we challenge each student to become the best version of herself.
As proud members of the International Coalition of Girls' Schools, we know the transformative power of girls' education. Research shows that when girls are educated, they are more likely to lead healthy lives, contribute to their communities and break cycles of disadvantage. We embed these insights into our teaching and learning especially through collaborative problem-solving and strategies that build confidence and critical thinking.
Teaching for Thinking: Our Explicit Improvement Agenda
In 2025, Teaching for Thinking forms the basis of our Explicit Improvement Agenda. This approach is central to our vision for learning at St Mary's. Teaching for Thinking is about more than just delivering content; it's about intentionally developing our students' ability to think critically, creatively and reflectively across all areas of learning.
Why is this important? In today's world, students need more than knowledge. They need the skills to question, analyse, solve problems and reflect on their own thinking. By embedding Teaching for Thinking into our classrooms, we help students become independent learners who can confidently tackle complex challenges, collaborate with others, enact higher order thinking skills and adapt to new situations.
Drawing on the University of Queensland's Critical Thinking Project, our staff are supported to design lessons that foster inquiry, encourage thoughtful questioning and build metacognitive skills. This means our students are not only learning what to think, but how to think which is preparing them to flourish both at school and beyond.
This website is your window into our College's philosophy, traditions and daily life. I encourage you to explore it as a companion on your journey with us in 2025.
Together, let's lead with compassion, teach with purpose and continue to shape a future where every young woman is empowered to flourish.
Blessings of Mercy
Alison Gilbert
Principal