Mater Christi College

Tour Details

Tour of the College was held on Tuesday morning, where guests were greeted by two student ambassadors at the front of the administrative building. 

The Registrar welcomed guests and ticked them off the attendees list. 

The tour began with a detailed presentation led by the Deputy Principal – Learning, Tara Baker. Her talk was punctuated with moments of personal experiences shared by student ambassadors (from Years 8 and 10). 

After the presentation, guests were led around the school grounds by the Registrar and student ambassadors. The tour group was large, close to 50 people. 

The tour finished off with morning tea in the staff lounge, where the Registrar, student ambassadors and several teachers were available to answer questions. 

Vibe at Mater Christi College

Mater Christi College is situated in the outer eastern suburb of Belgrave, sitting at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges close to the Puffing Billy. The Campus is a short walk up the hill from Belgrave Train station, with many students choosing to commute together by train from surrounding suburbs along the Belgrave-Lilydale line. The School Chartered Bus is also an available mode of transport.

School grounds were well-maintained and centralised, making the campus feel cohesive despite the fairly sizeable property. During the tour, staff referenced the school’s Master Plan which is currently in development, and may include upcoming building works aimed at providing more space, as well integration of the natural surroundings into the built environment. 

The School seemed surprisingly quiet (for a campus housing approximately 700 students), but it buzzed with excitement during recess times. There appeared to be a real sense of community at Mater Christi. Students looked genuinely happy to be there, and the student ambassadors who presented during the Deputy Principal’s address spoke with what came across as authentic pride. This sentiment was echoed by a passing student we met on the tour who remarked unprompted, “You should definitely send your kid here … it’s a very nice place.”

Mater Christi deputy principal’s address

The Deputy Principal’s address was detailed and informative, moving beyond general goals and principals to offer concrete examples of the programs in practice. Her presentation was thorough, and the inclusion of student ambassadors speaking to their firsthand experiences made it more enriching and compelling. The aspects that were given particular emphasis during the address included:

Every Student is Known. A core goal of the school is that each individual student should be seen and recognised.

Founded in the Benedictine Tradition. The school was established by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, and its vision of education extends beyond excellence in academic teaching. Students are also supported to become women of integrity and compassion who actively engage in doing good (rather than just being bystanders). 

The Case for a Girls’ School. The College is a member of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools and its educational approach is grounded in the view that girls learn differently from boys, and are motivated and respond in different ways. Research was presented during the address showing that girls performed better across a range of measures when educated in a single-sex environment.

Ms Baker also spoke to one of the more commonly held beliefs about girls’ schools, namely that they can be prone to cliquey behaviour and relational aggression. The College takes a proactive and responsive approach to this behaviour, underpinned by a strong focus on emotional education. “Tricky topics” such as mental health, social media, cyber crime, body image, consent and respectful relationships etc. are addressed through its programs. The College recently invited Elephant Ed (teaching consent and relationships) and Susan McClean (cyber safety expert) to present to the students.

Student Wellbeing is Central. This was perhaps the most prominent theme throughout the address. The College holds the position that wellbeing and learning go together hand-in-hand, and as such the College runs a wide array of programs and support services (both proactive and responsive) to promote wellbeing. This is discussed in more detail below.

A Commitment to Continuous Improvement. The school operates with an innovative and reflective mindset captured by the phrase “Better, not perfect”. Feedback is gathered formally and informally from students and parents. Every second Wednesday, students are dismissed early to allow the entire staff team to engage in whole-school professional development, a practice that also provides students with a regular opportunity to reset. 

Enrolment at Mater Christi College

Mater Christi College is an open-entry Catholic Secondary School for girls. They welcome enrolments from families of all backgrounds, abilities and faiths. 

Year 7 is the College’s main intake year, and there are five Year 7 classes in 2026. Applications for Year 7 placements are accepted at any time, however due to high demand and limited places, it is strongly recommended that applications are submitted by Term 1 of the student’s Year 5 year. Applications submitted after the Year 5 deadline (typically around July of the year) will be considered late and will be waitlisted and only considered if places become available. The application process includes an online application form as well as an enrolment interview with both the student and their parent/carer. 

Sports at Mater Christi College

Sports at Mater Christi College was only mentioned briefly throughout the day. Notable highlights included the achievement of the Mater Doves, who were crowned State Champions at the 2025 Australian All Stars Cheerleading Federation (AASCF) Competition. The campus tour included sighting the on-site dance studio. The College boasts three large spaces appointed for sporting activities, although an oval is not currently part of its facilities. 

Performing arts and enrichment activities at Mater Christi College

The Whole School Production is one of the enrichment activities available at Mater Christi College. It is held in collaboration with brother school St Joseph’s College. The Year 10 debating team made the quarter finals of the Debating Association of Victoria’s inter-school competition, and came fourth in the State.

Academics at Mater Christi College

Mater Christi College adopts a staged approach to academics. The journey begins in Years 7 and 8, where the priority is transition. Students are eased into secondary school life with the opportunity to explore a broad range of subjects. In Years 9 and 10 students are given agency over their learning, with the opportunity to begin shaping their academic journey. The Morrisby profiling assessment, a career and pathway tool, is undertaken in Year 9. In Years 11 and 12, students can study units from the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), VCE-Vocational Major (VCE-VM) and/or Vocation Education and Training (VET) programs. Chinese and French are the two languages offered at Mater Christi.

Targeted intervention (such as multisensory structured language tutoring) as well as acceleration programs (such as the Zenith program for highly capable students) are available for students who meet relevant criteria. In Year 10 students have the opportunity to accelerate part of their studies by undertaking certain VCE Unit 1 & 2 studies. A wide range of subjects are available, close to 287 units are offered in any particular given year. 

2025 academic results were referenced. 28% of students achieved an ATAR over 80. The median study score was 30. The College Dux achieved a score of 99.3, while the Dux of VCE VM was recognised for her achievements, reflecting the College’s commitment to celebrating success across all pathways.

Mobile phone policy at Mater Christi College

Mater Christi employs a mobile phone free policy. Students are permitted to bring a phone to school but they must be stored in their lockers during school hours. If a student is found with a phone during class time, the phone is registered into the “phone hotel” until the end of the day.

Camps at Mater Christi College

The tour did not go into detail about camps at Mater Christi, however it was mentioned that there are trips to China, France, Central Australia and to the Philippines (as part of the annual Good Samaritan Education Philippines Immersion). 

Clubs at Mater Christi College

Students often gather together at the Learning Commons (the library) which serves as a community hub. This is open 8am – 4pm Monday to Fridays. Students often go there to read, play games, socialise and join lunchtime activities and clubs. Clubs mentioned included Writers Group, Crochet Group, and various Lunchtime clubs. The Learning Commons is one of the many intentional strategies put in place to encourage students to connect and to make friends outside of their class. 

Wellbeing at Mater Christi College

Wellbeing is a central focus at the College, woven throughout the address and sitting at the heart of the school’s pastoral care and home group structure. The College delivers the University of Yale RULER program for students in Years 7-12 and the Respectful Relationships program for students in Years 7 – 12. RULER is an acronym standing for five key emotional intelligence skills: Recognising emotions in oneself and others, Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions, Labeling emotions with a nuanced vocabulary, Expressing emotions appropriately and Regulating emotions effectively. 

Supporting this is the Wellbeing Hub (staffed by three registered psychologists) as well as the Health Centre where registered nurses are able to assist with first aid needs, school-based care for students with chronic medical conditions and health care resources.

Final words

Mater Christi presented as a very warm and welcoming school. There is evidence of thoughtful planning in the way that the College has shaped its environment to intentionally foster connection among students. The students appear to genuinely enjoy being at school, something I observed first hand during my time there. There is also a clear emphasis on wellbeing and educating the whole child to become compassionate global citizens, likely stemming from its Benedictine heritage (and the account of the Good Samaritan sitting at the heart of this). 

What also stood out was the school’s honest acknowledgement that the school is not perfect. The strong commitment to professional development and the culture of reflection provided assurance that students are supported by educators who are growing in their practice. The College also made a very strong case for a girls only education.

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Guest Author VD

Guest Author VD is a well-read mum of two residing in the Easter suburbs of Melbourne, fuelled by flat whites and interesting decisions. 

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