St Martin de Porres School is a registered Curriculum and Re-engagement in Education (CaRE) school for secondary students who have disengaged from mainstream education. It is governed by Catholic Education Western Australia and opened in Term 3, 2020. Our dedicated team is very much committed to seeing, hearing and valuing young people without judgement, and strive to make our motto ‘in love and harmony we grow’ a daily reality. We provide an inclusive, supportive environment characterised by relationships of mutual trust and respect. Our key focus is on nurturing the wellbeing, strengths and gifts of every young person we serve.
Our values and beliefs are founded on the tenets of Catholic faith, respect for human dignity and the common good which underpins our pastoral care and support. Our priority is establishing a learning space where young people feel physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually safe. Our model for re-engaging young people is based on wellbeing, trauma-informed practices and culturally responsive pedagogy. We walk beside young people and genuinely support and encourage them to be who they want to be without judgement. We believe in the power of deep listening and allowing young people to be genuinely empowered to work through challenging situations.
We are a small school with a higher ratio of staff to young people to support emotional and social wellbeing. We have a one adult to twelve young people ratio. Our initial focus is on wellbeing as this positively impacts on learning outcomes, enhances resilience, and levels of satisfaction in life. We use relational, innovative and strength-based approaches, to re-engage and support young people in their life journey.
Our school feels more like a family than a traditional schooling model and the adults caring for the young people entrusted to our care, are warmly welcomed into the learning partnership.
Panda Gardner is the School’s foundation Principal.