Villa Maria College
DEBOR AH BROSNAHAN, PRINCIPAL
VILLA MARIA COLLEGE HAS
served the Catholic community in Christchurch for over 100 years. The college was established by the Sisters of Mercy as a Catholic school for girls in 1918, and in 1981 Villa Maria became an Integrated School providing education with a Special Character. It is the vision of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, that is implemented, tested and challenged in all our education at Villa Maria. It is this Mercy character that makes Villa Maria special, and we seek to live the Gospel values and infuse a Catholic culture with our Mercy charism, throughout all aspects of college life.
The staff at Villa Maria are committed to creating life-long learners and nurture each girl and her academic needs. We are extremely proud of our academic success. NZQA data shows that Villa Maria students consistently perform well above the national average for all New Zealand schools. Striving for excellence is part of the college culture, and girls are guided and supported to set goals and achieve their potential. Our smaller class sizes are a significant advantage, and our teachers are specialists in their field and passionate about educating girls.
In an all girls’ environment, girls are taken seriously. They can work through the challenges of adolescence safely and they thrive and excel with strong female and male role models to inspire them. The family atmosphere at Villa Maria College is no accident. Students are encouraged to look after each other and give back to the life of the college. All students are placed in one of our six Houses, designed to encourage camaraderie and a sense of belonging between students across all year levels. Each House is led by a Head of House who oversees the pastoral care of the students. The entire staff work in a caring fashion to help students through their teenage years. It is this deliberate focus on the whole person that makes Villa Maria a safe and secure place of learning.
We offer a vibrant cultural programme, where girls can seize opportunities to develop their musical interests, or be part of our Kapa Haka or Pasifika Group.
Villa Maria offers more than 30 different sports, so there truly is something for everyone. Students are encouraged to participate in sport, whether they strive to become elite athletes, or just want to have fun. Through sport, girls make new friends, learn new skills, and live a healthy lifestyle. This is central to our inclusive philosophy at Villa Maria College.
With a full and vibrant college experience, balancing academic study and the many co-curricular activities on offer, it is a pleasure to watch our students develop from Villa girls into confident and caring young Mercy women.