After the devastating loss of Lilie James — a young woman whose death at the hands of a man she knew sent shockwaves through Sydney — principal Julie McGonigle decided that traditional approaches to consent education were not enough. Her solution: ask students themselves to help identify and address the 'low-level' infractions that can escalate into violence.

The program, developed in collaboration with student leaders, encourages pupils to call out casual sexism, catcalling, unwanted touching, and dismissive language among peers. Instead of a top-down curriculum, McGonigle said the school is relying on student ownership to create lasting cultural change. "We realised that tackling gender-based violence has to start with the low-level stuff — the jokes, the comments, the everyday disrespect that gets normalised," she said.

The school has introduced workshops where students discuss scenarios and practice intervention, as well as anonymous reporting mechanisms for microaggressions. Teachers have also received training to recognise and respond to early warning signs. The approach borrows from public health models that target root causes rather than only treating symptoms.

While the initiative has been praised for its proactive stance, some experts caution that focusing on low-level behaviour must not come at the expense of addressing systemic issues or supporting victims of severe abuse. Professor Michael Flood, a sociologist specialising in gender-based violence, noted that "micro-interventions can be valuable, but they work best when embedded in a whole-of-school policy that includes clear consequences for serious misconduct and robust support services."

Students have responded positively. Year 11 student and program participant Ella said the sessions have changed how she and her friends talk to each other. "It's made us more aware of the small things we let slide, and it's easier to speak up now because everyone knows the language," she said.

The school plans to share its model with other private and public schools interested in replicating the approach. The move comes amid growing national debate over consent education in Australia, with states and territories updating curricula after a series of high-profile violence cases.

Some critics question whether a private girls' school is the ideal setting to address a problem that often originates in broader societal attitudes, particularly among boys and men. However, McGonigle argued that all schools have a role to play. "We can't control what happens outside our gates, but we can create a culture in here that rejects violence from the smallest action upward."

As Australia continues to grapple with its crisis of gender-based violence, St Catherine's experiment may offer a template — or a cautionary tale — for schools seeking to move beyond awareness campaigns into genuine behavioural change.