Well-being and Pastoral Care

Looking after the well-being of our students is a vital part of the school day. The Preparatory School has made a deliberate decision to continue to offer one teacher to one class of children. This is counter to the current trend in New Zealand state schools whereby two or more classes and teachers are together in one large teaching space. It is this conscious decision which allows our classroom teachers to develop an in-depth understanding and empathy for the small group of students in their care.

For the students who require additional or more specialised support, the Pastoral Care team provides an important service. This team meets once a week to discuss and allocate students to a variety of services, including in-school counselling and guidance, and referral to outside agencies. In 2019 several initiatives were introduced to improve the recording and tracking of pastoral information. The introduction of Power BI has allowed classroom teachers to view vital information regarding the students in their direct care, both current and historical. The addition of an administration support person to the Pastoral team has also assisted in improved systems and communication in this area.

The Chaplaincy and Well-being teams continued to provide support and development for staff in understanding their own well-being and managing the complexities of work and home life in the 21st century. The College also continues to provide the services of Workplace Support who provide independent employee assistance in addressing personal and work-related issues.