Wellbeing and Belonging

We equip our Years 3 to 6 students with the necessary skills, values and knowledge to discover their best and contribute to their communities.

Our staff incorporate the latest evidence-based wellbeing practices into their teaching to nurture our students’ emotional health and promote a growth mindset.

The RULER Approach

As a RULER School, St Mary’s is committed to fostering emotional intelligence and wellbeing through an evidence-based approach developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

RULER stands for:

Recognise

Understand

Label

Express

Regulate

This method helps students develop these skills through consistent language, practices and learning experiences. Students build self-awareness, strengthen relationships and develop the confidence to navigate challenges positively.

By embedding emotional intelligence into everyday learning, we support students to develop empathy, resilience and a strong sense of belonging, recognising that wellbeing underpins both learning and personal growth.

We are a Child-Safe School and have a Child-Safe Team in our Junior School, consisting of the Head of Junior School, Deputy Head of Junior School (Pastoral Care), Deputy Head of Junior School (Curriculum), Junior School Psychologist and Coordinator of Teaching and Learning. Our pastoral care program also extends to our parents. We host regular parent information sessions to offer parents opportunities to hear from leading experts in the fields of health and wellbeing

Our Student Wellbeing Framework

We believe that every St Mary’s student has unique potential; therefore, our goal is to work in partnership with families to nurture it.

We know that when each student is confident, courageous and compassionate, she is well equipped to build on her strengths, recognise areas for growth, and strive to be her best self.

This growth is best supported through a strong partnership between school and home. We create a warm, positive environment where each student feels connected, knows she belongs and understands that her contributions matter. Together in a shared approach, students are encouraged to take on challenges, develop resilience and grow with confidence, knowing they are supported every step of the way.

To ensure 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, ensuring 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 in accepting, knowing and trusting themselves.

Staff Development: Our staff are trained to support student wellbeing and to incorporate evidence-based 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 to ensure a shared understanding of each student’s needs and how they may be supported.

Student Support: We have a coordinated approach with clear roles and responsibilities to provide proactive, responsive support to all students.

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.