Two students sitting at a table with their teacher completing a task.

Pastoral Care & Oratory

Pastoral Care allows us to know each student individually and nurture their development holistically.

Pastoral care refers to the care provided to every student supporting their emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing. Oratory groups and Oratory teachers are a major aspect of managing pastoral care at the College.

Oratory

At Xavier College, home groups are referred to as Oratory groups. The term ‘Oratory’ is a characteristic of the Salesian tradition. Oratory groups meet at the start of every day for the daily notices, a prayer and various activities that build friendships and a supportive student community.

We believe the position of Oratory teacher is an important one, committing a great deal of time and effort in allocating staff to this role.

Each Oratory teacher is given the same amount of time as they would for a subject line, and they prepare themselves for Oratory as they would for any subject that they teach. The Preventive System of education developed by St John Bosco is exemplified by Oratory teachers, who build good, positive, unique relationships with their students and journey with them as a guide, friend and educator. Oratory groups are a point of stability for many students; teachers aim to create a welcoming environment where students feel at home and cared for.

Oratory groups consist of students from Year 6 to Year 12; year levels may vary within this range depending on the campus. The vertical structure means the younger students get to know the older students and vice versa. This familiarity creates a wider support network beyond a student’s regular classmates. It also provides the elder students with an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership skills.

Houses

Each student and member of staff is assigned to one of the four Houses: de Sales, Handley, Mazzarello and Occhiena. There are many Oratory groups within each House. Siblings are assigned to the same house at enrolment.

Students within each House gather or work together for events such as sports days, swimming carnival, liturgies and charitable fundraising events.

House Leadership

Students

Each House has three House Captains and three Deputy House Captains. Captains and Deputy Captains represent their whole house, not just their Oratory group. They lead and encourage their fellow students through four main aspects of College life: academic, community, sporting and cultural.

Staff

Oratory teachers are the first point of contact for parents/caregivers. Each House has two House Directors who support Oratory teachers. One with a focus on Pastoral Care, the other with a focus on Teaching and Learning.