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.
Just as we emphasise academic learning, we also understand the importance of social and emotional learning; this underpins all that we do. We strive to nourish the wellbeing of all the dimensions of our students, including their emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual dimensions. Our focus on wellbeing encompasses nurturing the self, giving to others, and building and celebrating community at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School Clifton Gardens.
We have implemented a variety of wellbeing programs, including: Mindfulness, Greatfulness, BounceBack – Resilience, Buddies, Anti-Bullying policy and practice and Peer Support groups. Learn, Love, Live student awards are presented weekly to students who support the wellbeing of other students. A school counsellor also supports our students.
Our school utilises the National Safe Schools Framework. We value our partnership with parents in supporting their children’s mental health and wellbeing. We launched SchoolTV to support our parents with credible information and strategies.
Sydney Catholic Schools rejects 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:
- Kids Helpline
- Student Wellbeing Hub – Department of Education
- Anti Bullying – Department of Education
- Be You
- Parent Line NSW
- Family and Community Services Helpline: 133 627
- NSW Health: (02) 9391 9000