Positive wellbeing is fundamental to a child’s ability to learn, develop and thrive at school.

We know that when students feel supported, they are more engaged with their learning.

At Sydney Catholic Schools, we commit to providing safe, supportive and inclusive environments which nurture the wellbeing of all students and staff in our community.

Our student wellbeing policy is underpinned by the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework. The framework recognises five elements that are key to supporting the whole school community to build and maintain safe, positive relationships and wellbeing: leadership, inclusion, student voice, partnerships and support.

This is complemented by the Be You Framework, a national initiative for educators aimed at promoting and protecting positive mental health in children and young people. The integration of both frameworks supports our school communities to provide every student with the strongest foundation possible for them to reach their aspirations in learning and in life.

We have a systemic approach to wellbeing and positive behaviour with tiers of support to meet the diverse needs of staff, students and families. The offerings range from whole school initiatives, actively seeking student voice, system policies on anti-bullying, student counselling, staff training in student wellbeing, along with targeted interventions for students with complex social and emotional needs.

The wellbeing of our St Clare’s College community is central to everything we do. We recognise the need to value and respect every member of our College through wellbeing practices that are embedded in our procedures.  Examples of this can be seen within the explicit teaching of life skills as presented within our pastoral program.  This program reaches across the pastoral, curriculum, and spiritual domains.  Our pastoral care program aims to to develop lifelong behavioural skills that allow our students to see the world from a strengths-based perspective, thus developing meaningful lifelong relationships. We commit one 50-minute period per cycle to this program, allowing students and teachers to meet in their groups according to their House or Year. The flexibility within the program allows the activities to be tailored to the needs of the group through listening and responding to the student’s voice. This year the students requested to spend lesson time focusing on respectful relationships, study skills, future’s focus and mental healthcare. We continually review our pastoral program and tailor it to specific needs in each year group. These needs are highlighted to staff through regular review of wellbeing data that is monitored to inform appropriate teaching and learning. The pastoral care lessons all have a direct link with the three strands of our school ethos – Respect, Resilience and Responsibility.

This program is complemented by other evidence-based initiatives such as NAPCAN Love Bites and Love Bites Junior, The Resourceful Adolescent Program, Peer Support, and Be You that provide opportunities for the development of leadership, resiliency, and other skills in similarly tailored environments. 

More targeted interventions are available to students as they work through their journey to adulthood with the support of the Wellbeing Team and College Counsellors.

Case Management Support

If your daughter needs additional support with her Wellbeing, please speak to her Leader of Wellbeing or Megan Kennedy-Director of Wellbeing. There is the option of additional support through a referral for case management support. This case management is managed by the Sydney Catholic Schools Wellbeing Team. This has been a very helpful process for families and students who are dealing with adversity, mental health concerns or need additional support for their Wellbeing and future planning.

Anti-bullying policy

Sydney Catholic Schools reject all forms of bullying behaviours, including online (or cyber) bullying, by maintaining a commitment to providing safe, inclusive and respectful learning communities that promote student wellbeing for learning. Staff at Sydney Catholic Schools are committed to employing wellbeing strategies that allow for a healthy school environment where bullying is less likely to occur.

If your child is experiencing bullying of any kind, or you have a wellbeing concern, we have a number of support services available for parents/carers and students, as listed below.

Support services: