12 Mar 2026
Parents today are navigating a fast-moving digital world, facing rising pressures on young people, and an ever-changing landscape of future pathways.
Locally, St Columba’s College aims to not only understands these pressures but actively support families through them, something which is promoted by deputy head Katie Marson.
Speaking to her this week on the sunny college campus off King Harry Lane, she explained that this means protecting students’ childhoods while nurturing their confidence and empowering them to shape their own futures.
“Supporting pupils through their life journeys is at the heart of what we do, with everything focused on pastoral care and wellbeing because we know they can only thrive academically when they feel safe, supported and known as individuals.
“Because we know our students so well, we can guide them with the right balance of support and challenge. Through our curriculum, our wellbeing provision and the strong relationships we build with families, we help them develop the resilience, character and ambition they need to thrive both now and long after they leave us. We talk about teaching children how to ‘make a life, not just a living’ and believe that a holistic and values-based approach is crucial.”
With a first class honours degree in modern European languages from Edinburgh University, Katie transitioned from a career in management consulting to teaching.
She has considerable experience in a number of high-performing faith schools in the Midlands and London including 10 years as assistant head at Finchley Catholic, before joining St Columba’s in 2016 as deputy head.
Ten years on, and she oversees the day-to-day running of the senior school, with a particular focus on pastoral care and operations, as well as deputising for headteacher Karl Guest as required: “There is a huge amount of variety in what I do, which I love, as well as the daily contact with our amazing young people!”
With pupils aged from four all the way through to 18, a particular emphasis is naturally placed on the transition from tween to teen, a time in young people’s lives which is fraught with challenges.
“We work closely with both parents and pupils to make that shift as smooth as possible.
“We’re a close community and we genuinely know every one of our students, which means we can spot worries early and support them in the right way, in partnership with their parents.
“We also understand the pressures young people face today, so we are proactive and address them head-on through our pastoral programme, topical discussions and events.
“This week, for example, we’re running a session with Rayden Solicitors to help our families and those in other schools navigate tween and teen anxiety.
“Our pastoral programme, with its weekly themes which cover mental health, relationships, financial education, wellbeing, careers and much more, is reviewed annually, taking into account contemporary issues as well as regular feedback from our students, to ensure it meets their needs.”
The school recognises that education doesn’t end when a student leaves the classroom, so there is a great emphasis on providing co-curricular opportunities, with more than 250 clubs ranging from Japanese to cookery, table tennis to journalism [developing the school magazine], plus more than 120 trips each year in the senior school.
“It is our role to provide as many opportunities as possible for our young people, to help them gain experiences and to flourish and thrive.
“At the same time, we are enormously proud of our academic success, with SCC’s value added [the amount of progress made from baseline ability to final exam] in recent years being in the top 10 per cent of schools nationally. Being truly holistic means ensuring that balance of academic stretch and personal growth for every single individual, and this is an essential part of our ethos.”
When students reach the Sixth Form, they are able to access additional qualifications as well as pure A-levels, including sports and business AAQs [the new post-16 qualifications offering a mix of external assessment and practical, applied learning].
St Columba’s recently hosted an apprenticeship event attended by alumni and guest speakers from organisations like Goldman Sachs, Amazon and TUI, and the head of careers works closely with every student on their long-term options.
“It’s never a one-size-fits-all process,” says Katie. “We look at each child as an individual so they can make decisions that are entirely right for them.”
It’s this ethos which Katie believes sets the school apart from other institutions: “I would hope our students share my view of St Columba’s as a special place where everyone feels known, valued and treasured.
“Our philosophy is that happy learners make the best learners, so we put a huge amount of effort and time into building those relationships with students, with the result that, even when things are difficult, there is an innate understanding that we are all – students, staff, parents – on ‘the same side’. And that makes the world of difference.”
