St Paul's College, Walla Walla

St Paul's has a vertically arranged pastoral care group system consisting of students from Years 7 to 12. This structure, which was introduced in 1985, replaced the typical structure of having a year coordinator assigned to each year group. Each student is assigned to a care group, either within Kavel House or Leidig House and he or she remains in this caregroup for the duration of his or her schooling. This structure facilitates the development of strong relationships within the college community. Daily devotions, either in Care Groups or within the whole school assembly, are an important aspect of the holistic development of students.

St Paul's offers a relatively wide range of academic and vocational subjects to meet students’ interests and aspirations. Some students take the opportunity to specialise in Equine or Agricultural Studies, which are two high-profile areas of learning at St Paul's. Nonetheless, a broad curriculum is offered for the majority of the students who do not wish to gain employment in an agricultural field or have an interest in Equine sports.[9]

As part of their learning, all students learn about Christianity and other major religious groups. In Years 7-10, students learn about the Christian faith using curriculum materials from Lutheran Education Australia and they engage in service learning. The NSW Board of Studies subject, The Study of Religion, is taught in Years 11 and 12. Christian faith is neither presumed nor demanded from students.

Students’ learning in agriculture is supported by practical activities on the College's farms (totalling 92 ha) that are used for livestock, cropping and pasture production. The White Suffolk stud provides experiences in the production of sheep and wool; the preparation and showing of sheep; and the techniques of modern studwork. The College also runs a small commercial herd of cows, along with steers that are prepared for showing and carcase competitions. Show teams visit local agricultural shows and the Royal shows in Melbourne and Sydney.

The focus of the Equine studies programme is on the equestrian industry rather than the racing or breeding industries. Many students, including beginner riders, choose equine as a way of following their interests and developing a range of equestrian skills. The Equine centre includes stables, yards and paddocks, dressage and jumping arenas, a round yard and a cross country training circuit. Boarding students agist their horses at the Equine centre and College horses are available for students who do not have their own horse. Supervised riding takes place after school and boarding students have the opportunity to compete at local shows and gymkhanas.

Boarding is an important component of St Paul's; from the time when the College was first established to the present time when approximately 30% of the students are boarders. At various times the boarding population has comprised over 80% of the enrolments with up to 160 full and weekly boarding students.[5] Presently, boarding students are drawn from communities within the Greater Hume Shire, the Riverina, North Eastern Victoria and further afield from the cities of Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.[10]

Weekly boarding students return to their homes on weekends and College operated transport services are provided to and from Wagga Wagga and Wodonga. Full boarding students remain on campus on weekends. An organised activity is provided each weekend and boarders are encouraged to play tennis, netball, cricket and football with local teams.