WELLBEING

Wellbeing is at the heart of ever thing we do at Ballarat Grammar and every student is supported to flourish and thrive. Wellbeing is ingrained in our culture as part of our teaching and learning framework. The skills and mindsets that promote wellbeing are taught explicitly within our Positive Education program. Care takes place informally across the School as well as within an excellent network of structured support to meet the needs of each student’s physical, spiritual, social, mental and emotional health.Student wellbeing is built around the concept of connectedness through the Homeroom, House System and Mentor Groups.

The focus on Wellbeing at Ballarat Grammar is based around the principles of Positive Psychology. The Pastoral Care framework enables the application of wellbeing principles to understand positive emotions such as joy, optimism and contentment; however, in everything we do, wellbeing is at the core. The School is focused on fostering the conditions that allow individuals, groups and organisations to flourish and thrive by:

• Promoting academic tenacity and persistence.

• Developing an unders tanding of character strengths and using these to solve problems,

• Encouraging real istic optimism and resilience,

• Building positive relationships through positive communication,

• Developing leadershi p skills,

• Encouraging ex pressions of appreciation and gratitude and a growth mindset

• Developing an app reciation of the power of stillness and mindfulness, and

• Developing skills to achieve a meaningful life.

We strive for a positive state of wellbeing is what we strive for. We draw on evidence for our programs from the science of Positive Psychology and Positive Education is how we teach it to our students, through our House system.

Each year level works with a theme to develop explicit links with the teaching of Positive Psychology.

Year 7 Relationships

Year 8 Respect

Year 9 Resourcefulness

Year 10 Resilience

Year 11 Responsibilit y

Year 12 Resolve

Pastoral Care takes place within daily morning meeting times before recess and during set tutorial and homeroom times, once a week. In addition, students will attend House meetings and Chapel each week.

For students seeking more specialised support:

• The Inclusive Edu cation Team provides remediation, gifted education and oversight and organisation of Special Provision and in some cases, individual integration aids.

• School psychologist – available for appointments at school. Counselling is offered to, and can be initiated by, students themselves, their parents or a staff member.

• Health Centre – trained nurses.

The School’s Harassment Policy is also integral to the provision of Pastoral Care and all students are required to sign this policy at the beginning of each year.

A Students At Risk (SAR) team, comprising of senior staff, meets once a fortnight to track students who are considered either at risk or potentially so. Pastoral Care Co-ordinators and Homeroom teachers take on the role of “case managers” of these students as well as SAR members who look after those students at greater risk.

The Deputy Head Senior School – Wellbeing and Pastoral Care, and the Assistant Head Middle School – Wellbeing and Pastoral Care, along with the Director of Care are responsible for the provision of Pastoral Care within the School.