Student Wellbeing
At St Mary’s, we foster a culture of care and wellbeing that develops courageous, compassionate young women.
Our students are known by their teachers and peers, have a say in their learning pathway, and are supported and nurtured throughout their schooling journey. We provide consistent and structured opportunities to foster positive relationships with themselves, each other, their teachers and their community.
Our Anglican values ensure that our girls are cared for and encouraged to care for others.
Junior School
Our Junior School provides students with the necessary skills, values and knowledge to discover their best and contribute to their communities.
Staff incorporate the latest evidence-based wellbeing practices into their teaching to nurture our students’ emotional health and promote a growth mindset. By adopting a growth mindset, our girls learn to embrace challenges and collaborate with others to formulate solutions. Our Junior School girls also receive regular Protective Behaviours education.
Our pastoral care program also extends to our parents. St Mary’s hosts regular parent information sessions where our parents are afforded opportunities to hear from leading experts in the fields of health and wellbeing.
Senior School
In the Senior School, we support our students’ journeys of self-discovery and encourage them to take charge of their own wellbeing, as well as their learning, so that they are prepared for life after school.
By providing a positive school environment in which students feel they belong and that their contributions matter, their inherent potential is nurtured and fostered into holistic skills for lifelong thriving.
Our Senior School Wellbeing Team oversees the organisation of our pastoral care program. Comprising our Deputy Principal (Students and Wellbeing), Associate Dean of Wellbeing, Heads of Year, Psychology Services team, Chaplain and Health Centre staff, the Senior School Wellbeing Team works alongside classroom teachers to incorporate proactive practices, positive psychology and social emotional learning into our students’ everyday experiences.
Student Wellbeing Framework
We believe that every St Mary’s student has unique potential; therefore, it is our goal to work in partnership with their families to nurture that potential.
We know that if each student is confident, courageous and compassionate, she will be equipped to make the most of her strengths, recognise where she needs to improve, and strive to be her best self.
This can only happen if she is supported by a warm and positive family who know how to be appropriately demanding and encourage her to grow without shielding her from some healthy struggles.
Complementing this, each family can rely on the school to provide an environment where their daughter feels connected, knows that she belongs and her contributions matter.
To ensure that this can happen, we have embedded the following eight principles into our Student Wellbeing Framework, which are fundamental to how we work with our students and families. They are informed by our Anglican faith, traditions and values.
Leadership and Management: Our leaders champion, promote and support mental health and wellbeing. They enable strategic change where needed, so we have an effective, whole-of-school approach.
Learning Opportunities: We provide a range of student learning opportunities and experiences that develop holistic skills to support students to accept, know and trust themselves.
Staff Development: Our staff are trained to support student wellbeing and to incorporate practices into their teaching that promote lifelong learning, mental wellbeing, engagement and personal growth.
Data Informed: We regularly monitor the wellbeing of our staff and students, take action when needed, and review the impact of interventions.
Student Voice: We consult our students on their experiences, take their advice to ensure our approach is relevant to them and empower them to make decisions when appropriate.
Family Partnerships: We work alongside families in partnership to ensure that we have a shared understanding of each student’s needs and how these may be supported.
Student Support: We have a coordinated approach with clear roles and responsibilities to provide support to all students in a proactive and responsive manner.
Culture and Environment: We provide a school environment where each student feels safe and connected, knows that she belongs and that her contribution matters. It is our strong belief that this detailed framework will help us to continue providing our students with the best environment to pursue personal and academic excellence.