Positive wellbeing is fundamental to a child’s ability to learn, develop and thrive at school.

We know that when students feel supported, they are more engaged with their learning.

At Sydney Catholic Schools, we commit to providing safe, supportive and inclusive environments which nurture the wellbeing of all students and staff in our community.

Our student wellbeing policy is underpinned by the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework. The framework recognises five elements that are key to supporting the whole school community to build and maintain safe, positive relationships and wellbeing: leadership, inclusion, student voice, partnerships and support.

This is complemented by the Be You Framework, a national initiative for educators aimed at promoting and protecting positive mental health in children and young people. The integration of both frameworks supports our school communities to provide every student with the strongest foundation possible for them to reach their aspirations in learning and in life.

We have a systemic approach to wellbeing and positive behaviour with tiers of support to meet the diverse needs of staff, students and families. The offerings range from whole school initiatives, actively seeking student voice, system policies on anti-bullying, student counselling, staff training in student wellbeing, along with targeted interventions for students with complex social and emotional needs.

At Villa Maria Catholic Primary School Hunters Hill, all Year 6 students are paired with a kindergarten student under the school’s buddy system. This fosters strong, supportive relationships between the oldest and youngest children in the school. ‘Buddies’ meet once a week to do school work together and also look out for each other in the playground, as well as occasionally attending Mass and going on excursions together.

Anti-bullying policy

Sydney Catholic Schools reject all forms of bullying behaviours, including online (or cyber) bullying, by maintaining a commitment to providing safe, inclusive and respectful learning communities that promote student wellbeing for learning. Staff at Sydney Catholic schools are committed to employing wellbeing strategies that allow for a healthy school environment where bullying is less likely to occur.

If your child is experiencing bullying of any kind, or you have a wellbeing concern, we have a number of support services available for parents/carers and students, as listed below.

Support services: