Students’ Welfare

Student Support

The House system is at the heart of the AGASS strong pastoral care program. A school within a school, a sense of identity and belonging within a larger community. We want students to be able to:

  • Develop psychologically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually
  • Initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships
  • Become aware of others and empathize with them
  • Develop a sense of right and wrong

 

The whole school approach

  1. A clear vision and values that are understood and consistently communicated – through assemblies, mental health ambassadors, and a growth mindset culture
  2. Support and training for staff to build skills, capacity and their own resilience
  3. A support network that enables pupils to develop social relationships – through our 10+ extra-curricular activity options, prefects, the house system, and learning support
  4. A curriculum that values life skills, including social and emotional skills
  5. Teaching that develops resilient learning
  6. Effective partnerships with parents

 

Support systems for those at risk include:

  1. Targeted interventions based on the individual need
  2. Learning Support, with an open-door policy, self-referral and a chill-out area available
  3. Close contact with parents as required
  4. Additional support for the most vulnerable includes
  5. Personalized curriculum and exam access arrangements
  6. Working together with parents.

 

School nurse

The school nurse is available to support students by providing health assessment. Just like in a hospital or clinical setting, implement nursing health plan. Once health problems are documented and interpreted, render health teachings, promote control of communicable diseases and physiological well being.

 

School chaplaincy

Mentoring

Sometimes it is appropriate for the student support team to foster a relationship between students so that they can support one another. More often than not this is a student from an older year group supporting those lower down the school. The needs of the student needing support are usually ‘low level’ and we feel that they benefit from hearing from another individual closer to their age who may have experienced similar issues. At AGASS each student from lower level is allocated to a mentor usually known as ‘school mother and father’.

If the needs of a child are slightly more significant and require an adult to support them, the student support team will work to develop a mentoring partnership between a student and their chosen adult in the school. This mentoring will normally take place once a week but can be on a need’s basis, and staff mentoring is usually appropriate for students whose academic studies or social well being are beginning to affect their happiness or well being.