There’s no question that young people today are under the pump. School pressure, social media, friendship dramas, and anxiety about the future follows them through the school gates every morning.
As the stewards of their school community, Principals set the tone for what teaching, learning and wellbeing looks like across their campus. With today’s students quick to recognise when leadership feels distant or performative, it’s incumbent on Principals to ensure their school’s culture fosters genuine trust, meaningful relationships and proactive wellbeing supports.
That thinking is central to the leadership approach of new Brigidine College St Ives Principal Kate Quinane.
Commencing the role in January 2026, Quinane arrived with a deep grounding in girls’ education and a reputation for thoughtful, relationship-driven leadership shaped across some of Sydney’s most respected independent schools.
“I feel genuinely privileged to be stepping into the role of Principal at Brigidine College St Ives, and I do so with a deep sense of responsibility – not just to the school as it stands today, but to the tradition and community that have shaped it over more than seventy years,” Quinane told The Educator.
“My career has taken me through some wonderful schools – Ascham School, Roseville College, Santa Sabina College, and most recently St Aloysius’ College – and each of those communities has shaped the way I think about leadership.”
Strong schools start with real relationships
Quinane said strong school cultures don’t happen by accident, but through trust, consistency and genuine connection.
“What I've come to believe, fundamentally, is that great schools are built on relationships and connection: between teachers and students, between staff and families, and within the broader school community,” she said.
“When those relationships are healthy, curious, encouraging and purposeful, everything else – the academic outcomes, the wellbeing, the culture – tends to follow.”
Quinane said another long-held belief is that the best school leadership is about serving others, and finding ways to build on the strengths that exist and embracing opportunities for growth.
“My role is not to stand apart from the community, but to be deeply within it: listening carefully, asking good questions, and making decisions in the interests of every student in our care,” she said.
“At Brigidine, our motto of Strength and Gentleness, gifted to us by the Brigidine Sisters, is a beautiful spirituality and philosophy for our modern world.”
Quinane said leadership at Brigidine is grounded in empowering young women to grow with confidence and purpose.
“We are asking our girls to be strong, confident, compassionate and considered leaders – and I think the same is true of how we should lead the school itself. Girls' education holds a particular place in my heart,” she said.
“I've returned to it with great enthusiasm, because I believe there is something genuinely powerful about a learning environment where young women are at the centre – where their voices, ambitions, and identities are taken seriously and nurtured every single day. Brigidine does that beautifully, and I look forward to building on that foundation in the years ahead.”
Wellbeing support that’s always within reach
At Brigidine, students have access to an in-house counselling team from Monday–Friday free of charge, which Quinane said is yet another example of the “wrap-around” wellbeing support that the school provides.
“Here at Brigidine College St Ives, we prioritise our girls’ wellbeing. We are a Catholic school with the Brigidine charism, which calls us to care for the whole person. We want our girls to flourish academically, but also personally,” Quinane said. “The in-house counselling program speaks directly to the kind of school we are.”
Quinane said the program reflects the kind of school community Brigidine strives to be.
“The message it sends to every student is simple and powerful: your wellbeing matters, support is always close by, and you never have to wait until a problem becomes a crisis before seeking help,” she said. “It also demonstrates a strong partnership between the College, our families and external professionals.”
Quinane said this wrap-around approach is what enables Brigidine to care for each student and her individual needs.
“Having our counselling team here on campus, available every day of the school week, removes many of the barriers that can prevent young people from accessing the support they need,” she said.
“A student can walk in, sit down and have a conversation with someone who knows her, knows this community and genuinely cares about her wellbeing.”
That accessibility is everything, said Quinane.
“What we see in practice is that early intervention changes outcomes,” she said. “When students can talk through anxiety, friendship challenges, academic pressure or family stress before those issues escalate, they are better placed to remain engaged in their learning and to build the emotional resilience that will serve them long after they leave Brigidine.”
Quinane pointed out that wellbeing and learning are not separate pursuits, but are deeply intertwined.
“Our counselling and wellbeing team sits at the heart of that connection. In 2026, we continue to see strong engagement with the program across all year groups,” she said.
“Our counsellors are not just reactive; they are embedded in the fabric of school life, working proactively with year groups on transitions, stress management, and the social and emotional challenges that are part of adolescence.”
‘We need to do better for the next generation’
On 15 May, more than 120 school leaders and wellbeing professionals representing over 50 schools from across Australia converged at Brigidine College St Ives for a national summit exploring this issue, but more importantly, what schools can do about it.
The Inaugural National Mental Health & Social Media Symposium – themed “Navigating Child Mental Health in a Digital World” – included important discussions around collective action, courageous leadership and the role schools can play in driving meaningful cultural change for young people in the digital age.
“Hosting the inaugural National Mental Health and Social Media Symposium was a great privilege, and I was genuinely moved by the energy and commitment in the room,” Quinane said.
“More than 120 school leaders and wellbeing professionals came together because they share a common concern: the young people in their care are navigating a digital landscape that is moving faster than our collective responses to it.”
Quinane said the Symposium reinforced the urgent need for schools to tackle digital-age challenges together.
“If I had to name the single biggest call to action that emerged from the day, it would be this: we are all navigating this changing space for the young people in our care, so let’s work together and start taking purposeful, evidence-informed steps – collectively, and by sharing our knowledge and expertise,” she said.
“Dr Danielle Einstein's keynote speech reminded us that the research is unambiguous. Digital technology, when used without boundaries or intentionality, can become an unhealthy coping mechanism that undermines emotional regulation in young people.”
A problem that demands collective action
Quinane said the scale of harmful online content facing young people demands a far more united response from schools.
“We heard that seven in ten young people reported encountering harmful content online in 2025 alone – misogynistic material, violent content, and eating disorder promotion. We need to do better for the next generation,” she said.
“What struck me most was the message that no school needs to do this alone. The call was to collaborate – with neighbouring schools, with families, and with students themselves.”
Quinane said culture change of this kind requires the whole community.
“And it requires young people to be partners in it, not simply subjects of it. When students understand the persuasive design of the platforms they use and are given agency to make values-aligned choices, something meaningful shifts.”
Quinane said the Symposium has reinforced and sharpened the school’s thinking in several important ways.
“We will continue to strengthen clear, consistent expectations around device use – not as punitive measures, but as an expression of our genuine care for student wellbeing,” she said, adding that the school will be working more intentionally with its parent community to ensure the messages students hear at school and at home are aligned.
“And we will listen carefully to our students because they are often the clearest-eyed observers of how social media is affecting their own lives and friendships.”