Our vertical clan system welcomes every secondary student into a small supportive community within their House.

What are Vertical Clans?

Vertical Clans are based on our three College Houses where students from Years 7 to 10 are grouped vertically so that a diverse range of age groups are represented in each Clan. This allows for intentional peer mentoring of students relationally as well as the development of leadership structure within the student body.  Vertical clans also allow for the development of house identity and culture, which subsequently facilitates an increased sense of belonging within the student cohort.

There are three house groups at Mount Carmel College – Carmel, Loreto and Lourdes – and within each house there are five Clans. The vertical clan system allows for the groups to become more like a family within part of a larger house family.

The Head of House is responsible for the day-to-day leadership of their house. They oversee pastoral care and nurture all the students in their house, support Clan teachers and develop a distinctive house culture through house-based activities.

The role of the Clan teacher is to know each student relationally and to understand the individual needs of each student in their clan. They are the first connection point for student pastoral care and their role is essential in ensuring that all students feel known and supported. The aim is to have the same Clan teacher with each clan over the student’s four years at Mount Carmel.

Clan groups meet at the start of each day and usually comprise, on average, of 25 students.