St Mary's Anglican Girls' School

St Mary’s Anglican Girls' School is an independent day and boarding school for students from Kindergarten to Year 12. We have a proud tradition of providing a challenging, diverse and enjoyable education, which incorporates the pursuit of excellence and a love of learning in a Christian environment.

St Mary’s was founded in West Perth in 1921. Some forty years later, the School moved to Karrinyup where the modern era of the School commenced. Well-appointed, air-conditioned buildings and modern facilities set in secure, landscaped grounds ensure that this beautiful, spacious environment enhances our academic and extracurricular programmes.

The School is located close to the ocean in the northern suburb of Karrinyup, thirteen kilometres from Perth's city centre. Situated on forty acres of landscaped grounds and natural bushland, it is within walking distance of some of Perth’s finest beaches.

St Mary's has an enviable reputation for academic excellence as well as achievement at the highest levels in music, drama, art, debating, sport and outdoor education. We are also renowned for encouraging participation by students of all levels of expertise in a wide range of extracurricular activities.

In line with contemporary learning approaches, we are committed to investing in the improvement of our school buildings and infrastructure so that our girls can study in the very best surroundings, benefitting from inspirational and contemporary facilities for all manner of activities both inside and outside the classroom.

The House system, School crest and motto, and the School prayer and hymn are vital parts of St Mary's rich, all-round history and identity.

As part of the House system, each girl is placed in one of six houses - Craig, Hackett, Lefroy, Riley, Wardle or Wittenoom - where past family connections are continued.

As well as being the vehicle for extracurricular activities and competitions, the Houses are important in the development of leadership, values and ethics. Each House has a prefect who, together with captains and the guidance of a Head of House, leads the House through the year's activities. Each year group and House also raises funds for worthy causes and those in need.

Each year group has a Head of Year who takes on an important pastoral care role, monitoring student welfare and development, and interacting with students on a regular basis. The Head of Year also organises important activities for the groups.

For almost 100 years, St Mary’s has been proudly educating girls to be the best they can be. We are committed to nurturing confident and caring young women who embrace opportunities and contribute meaningfully to their community, both within and beyond school.

With a reputation for outstanding academic achievement in an Anglican faith-based environment, St Mary’s is a caring and inclusive community. Our highly qualified and professional staff are supported by excellent facilities and provide a warm and supportive learning environment to enable our girls to thrive. Discovery is at the heart of the St Mary’s student experience, and our staff are faithfully committed to the holistic development of each girl. Importantly, we recognise that at the heart of happiness is knowing yourself, understanding others, and being a good human being. We aim to develop the unique qualities of our students while encouraging them to strive for personal excellence.

A rich extra-curricular program provides outstanding opportunities for students to engage in service activities, outdoor education, surf and diving programmes, drama, dance, debating, music and sport. These activities assist in developing essential 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication and self-confidence, and we encourage our girls to engage and actively participate in these opportunities.

Pastoral care lies at the heart of all that we do at St Mary's. Our philosophy is that each girl is known and nurtured as an individual. The school's pastoral care team strives to ensure that your daughter feels secure and is a valued member of our community.

Maintaining a positive self-image is paramount, as a student's emotional well-being has a direct influence on personal happiness, academic achievement and contribution to school and family life. The Christian principles of trust, co-operation and concern for others are encouraged amongst our girls and are central to chapel services and the Religious Studies programme.

The Dean of Students is responsible for overseeing pastoral care in the Senior School. This includes maintaining close contact with home, helping new students settle in and monitoring students' welfare by liaising with teachers and the school psychologists.

When a student enters the Senior School in Year 7, she remains in her Year 7 class, with her class teacher as her primary pastoral carer. From Year 8, girls are placed in a small pastoral care group, known as her Link, in the care of a Link teacher. These groups consist of girls from Years 8 to 12, so students remain in the same group, in the care of the same teacher, for the remainder of their time at St Mary's. Link teachers meet with their groups every day. This regular contact helps the teacher get to know the members of their group quickly. It also brings an increased awareness of the students' progress and involvement in school life, and more immediate recognition of possible problems and causes for concern. The name Link was chosen because of all that it represents in terms of bringing people together. Links, or bonds, between individuals of the same and different year groups, are established through close communication, and help to satisfy our need for security and a sense of belonging, in this case, within the community of St Mary's.

At St Mary’s faith and service are at the heart of the School. St Mary’s Church of England Girls’ School was founded on 14 September 1921 in the Church of England parish in West Perth, by the then Rector of the parish of St Mary’s, The Rev’d C L (Tom) Riley. The Rev’d Riley, later Bishop Riley, was the small school’s first Principal and also Chair of the Board of Governors.

Formal worship, with focus on the Eucharist according to Anglican tradition, is an integral part of the cyclical life of the school. We resolve to maintain and build on our Anglican foundation and Christian values, and girls are reminded, through regular Chapel services and the Religious Studies program, that this is an Anglican School, and that our philosophy is based upon Christian principles and teaching. Learn more about our school by viewing the Anglican Schools WA Ethos Statement.

Girls of many faiths and beliefs attend St Mary’s and all attend our services, with the Eucharist being central to our community life. Girls from Kindergarten to Year 12 attend Chapel services weekly. In addition, boarders have their own Chapel service each week, and the annual Boarders Grandparents' Day always begins with the girls and their grandparents worshipping together. From time to time the boarders also enjoy chapel services with the boarders at Hale School, our brother school, and Guildford Grammar School. There are staff services to mark the beginning of each term and to conclude the school year. As well as the many regular services, special services mark Holy Week, All Souls Day and the approach of Christmas. In August each year, students from Year 3 to Year 12, together with staff, celebrate through the Eucharist, the School’s Patronal Festival, a highlight of the School’s liturgical calendar, as is the annual Year 12 Valedictory Chapel Service.

The School is proud to have Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy as Visitor to the School and to have the Archbishop and Bishops preside over some school services and significant school occasions.

We are members of the West Australian Anglican Schools Association (WAASA) and Anglican Schools Australia (ASA). Our current Principal Mrs Judith Tudball is President Elect of ASA.