Our vision
Sophia College is a Catholic learning community called to walk gently with creation through wisdom and love to make a better future.
Our mission
The Sophia College community lives the good news of Jesus Christ by:
- Hearing and acting on the call to care for God's creation, our common home
- Acquiring and practicing wisdom to create a hope-filled future
- Walking with love to include the other
- Understanding their place in St Francis' call to rebuild — through service, support and leadership
The Four Living Stones
"Living Stones" is a Catholic and Franciscan term for the building-up of God's kingdom and the foundation of a tradition. Four Living Stones underpin life at Sophia College — you'll see this language everywhere, from the PB4L Matrix to staff PD.
"True education enables us to love life and opens us to the fullness of life." — Pope Francis, 2014
Student-centred and inclusive; visible learning; Explicit Inquiry; high expectations; supported, self-directed learning; feedback informs learning; assessment capable.
"We are not faced with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental." — Pope Francis, 2015
Common home and Laudato Si'; global consciousness and local context; pillars of sustainability; critical thinking; students as courageous change agents. Celebrated especially during the Season of Creation.
"It is not enough to say we are Christians. We must live the faith, not only with our words, but with our actions." — Pope Francis, 2014
Hope-filled; deepening awareness of self, others and creator; Catholic perspectives; Franciscan traditions; justice-focused; reflective and mindful.
"At the very heart of the Gospel is life in community and engagement with others." — Pope Francis, 2013
House system; Fratelli Groups; Positive Education; mentoring; career preparedness; respectful relationships; micro-credentials; leadership opportunities; sporting, performing, curious minds and cultural activities.
What is a Sophian?
We haven't found a formal definition of "Sophian" in college documentation — if this term is used at assemblies, in the student diary, or in a Learner Profile, add its real definition here. In the meantime, it's reasonable to describe a Sophian as a member of the college community who lives out the vision above: walking gently with creation, through wisdom and love.
Houses & Fratelli Groups
Every student is assigned a House at enrolment — where possible, students stay in the same House and Fratelli Group throughout their time at the College, and members of the same family are usually placed together. Each House is named after a concept in the Canticle of Creation, written by St Francis, reflecting the sacredness of the environment:
| House | House Companion |
|---|---|
| AQUA | Lachlan Walsh |
| IGNIS | Kristy Robberts |
| LUNA | Paul Neilsen |
| SOLIS | Bronte Nash |
Each morning, students gather in smaller subgroups of their House called Fratelli Groups — this is Sophia College's pastoral care and homeroom system, and you'll hear "Fratelli" constantly. It's an Italian word St Francis and St Clare would have used for "brother"/"sister" — Fratelli Groups mix every year level, with older students mentoring younger ones.
As a Fratelli Group Teacher, you're the first point of contact between a student's guardians and the college — and every teacher, not just Fratelli teachers, is expected to take an active role in student pastoral care. You refer matters on to the student's House Companion, Pedagogy Companion, or LIFE Companion as needed — see FAQs & Contacts for who's who.
Every Fratelli session runs the same five-part structure — the Fratelli Five:
Prayer
Roll
Announcements
Learning check
Devices, diary, and materials for lessons 1 & 2.
Uniform check
Our campus
Sophia College's campus is located at 56 Otto Road, Plainland, QLD — in the Lockyer Valley region, within the Brisbane Catholic Education network. It is a secondary college (Year 7 and above).
Following the Franciscan tradition, many of our buildings and spaces carry names connected to the life of St Francis of Assisi — including Assisi, Piazza, Angelo, Leo, La Verna, Padua, Greccio, Rieti and Spoleto. You'll pick these up quickly once you're navigating the campus day to day. A carved St Francis and the Wolf sculpture — recalling the Franciscan story of St Francis taming the wolf of Gubbio through peace — also stands on campus as a lasting symbol of the college's vision.
