VET

Pastoral Care

All staff at the College are pastoral carers. In our many different roles and varied interactions with the girls, we strive to ensure the girls’ safety – physically and emotionally - to support the development of their identify and sense of belonging, whilst honouring their passions, strengths and personal journey. We acknowledge this is key to allowing them to engage fully and successfully in their learning experiences.

‘A supportive and proactive learning environment promotes inclusion and collaboration’

and thus, in turn, effective care makes meaningful learning possible.

We recognise that effective pastoral care is important to the girls’ learning, and it is something they all deserve from our community. We purposefully craft small family units – Holme Groups - in which girls interact with others from their Middle or Senior School each day, in some fashion. These small groups attend Assembly and Chapel together and work with their entire House each week. Beyond that, they celebrate together, encourage, support and share the journey together, just like a family.

The College actively pursues excellence in this field in both the day school and within the boarding community. A purposeful approach to this care is led collaboratively by The Wellness Team - a staff group whose expertise spans emotional, academic, health, boarding and spiritual care.

Holme Groups undertake House-based projects throughout the year and devise their own activities to complement these. Groups work together towards our spirited Interhouse sport carnivals and cultural competitions each year. These shared activities are critical to a strong sense of belonging and genuine connections across a broad range of girls in the Middle and Senior School. In 2020, our Year 12 Leaders excelled in supporting an ongoing sense of connection during the months when girls were engaged in the ‘Learning from Holme’ phase. In particular, the House-based Pastoral Care Leadership Committee members and the House Prefects worked very closely with Heads of House and Assistant Heads of House to encourage very meaningful interactions during that time. These activities ensured that whilst there was physical distance between members, all members felt a strong sense of those important relationships, and thus their connection to our community.

Our dynamic approach promotes inclusivity and finds foundation in a restorative approach to managing relationships within a community.

Learning Pathways

MS ARLIE HOLLINDALE, CO-ORDINATOR OF LEARNING PATHWAYS

‘Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one, take off! But if you don’t have one, realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who will follow after you.’

Amelia Earhart

What a ‘great runway’ the Fairholme College Specialist Elective and Pathway Programs was for our Year 10 and other Senior students in 2020. Our Fairholme girls were given the opportunity to travel to destinations beyond what we might have ever imagined possible.

They were able to bank an ATARcalculating subject, access direct tertiary-entrance pathways, gain almost half of their QCE points total and gain an employability advantage ahead of their counterparts at other schools, despite the COVID-19 challenges; all by completing a Certificate III, IV or Diploma, even before Years 11 and 12. Almost half our Year 11 students have taken the opportunity to study a second qualification (some even a third) in Year 12, in over 25 varying areas of industry.

Each year, we expand our offerings, to assist our girls in exploring their most relevant and suitable pathway at this time in their learning journey. Aviation, Dance and Social Media Marketing (Virtual Reality) were introduced in 2020, to complement the existing areas of Health Services and Allied Health, Business, Hospitality, Fitness, Education Support, Early Education and Children’s Services, Crime and Justice, Nursing, Beauty, Tourism, Agriculture, Individual Support (Aged Care), Warehousing and Hairdressing, to name but a few programs of study. Our students gain invaluable, lifelong skill-sets through this unique program.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN 2021

In ‘grabbing a shovel’ and building new runways for our students who wanted to explore other destinations, Animal Studies and a unique Rural Allied Health program form part of the Fairholme College Pathway Program in 2021. Perhaps you might also keep your eye on the development of a Dentistry and Automotive ‘runway’, whilst we revisit certification within the Music Industry.