Student+Welfare+Policy+and+Rationale


 * High School Apocrypha Student Welfare Policy**

The physical, emotional, and social wellbeing needs of students are fundamental concerns of all staff at High School Apocrypha, as we recognise that a student’s ability to learn and become a valued part of society is built on a foundation of positive self worth and personal wellbeing.
 * Preface:**

● To foster quality relationships between staff and student ● To create a positive and caring environment that allows students to feel comfortable and safe ● To promote a culture of awareness and inclusion that views the wellbeing of all members of the school community as a shared responsibility ● To identify those students who may need additional support and provide them with accessible and effective services that meet their needs. ● To maintain student wellbeing as a central concern of the daily running of the school ● To actively provide an environment that enables all students to develop confidence, self esteem, positive attitudes and respect for themselves and others. ● To satisfy the developmental needs of students and encourage them to develop into effective lifelong learners and critical thinkers. ● To facilitate the successful translation of high levels of student wellbeing into excellent educational outcomes. ● To cultivate positive influences outside the immediate school environment by promoting strong links with the community and parents to provide a holistic approach to student wellbeing. ● To support and encourage active and meaningful student participation in school life.
 * 1.0 Aims:**


 * 2. 0 Implementation:**

__//2.1 Staff & Management//__

//2.1.1 Student Welfare Team// The student welfare team will oversee the management of student welfare issues and the provision of welfare services in the school. It will be comprised of key teaching staff members, representatives of the Parent’s Association, the Principal and Vice- Principal, all year level coordinators, and the Student Welfare Officer.

//2.1.1 Student Welfare Officer// A full time Student Welfare Officer will be the primary manager of student welfare in the school. The Student Welfare Officer will be a trained professional in one or more of the fields of social work, counseling, and psychology. They will work in conjunction with the student welfare committee to implement welfare related programs and provide face to face support for students in need.

//2.1.2 Welfare Support Staff// There will also be additional full and Part-time staff whose role falls under the aegis of student welfare and the student welfare committee. These include: Vocational guidance staff Educational support staff for students with learning difficulties Educational psychologists Social workers Speech therapists School Chaplain Visiting issues education groups

//2.2 External Support Services// The Student Welfare Officer will maintain strong links with external community and support services. A clearly defined and regularly reviewed referral procedure is in place that allows for the appropriate and timely connection of students with support beyond that which internal welfare resources can provide.

//2.3 Student Records// Each student will have relevant data pertaining to their welfare and educational wellbeing stored on a database so that all contributory factors to a student’s situation can be accessed as required. For privacy purposes access to sensitive information will be restricted to a select group of authorised persons including the Student Welfare Officer and Principal, with access by other staff members granted upon approval in accordance with the relevant legal regulations.

__//2.4 Information and Access//__

//2.4.1 Information Dispersal// Student welfare will be advertised across campus as an important issue. Specific welfare related issues will be advertised in addition to generic welfare advertisements.

//2.4.2 Access// Copies of procedures for access to welfare support will be posted at accessible locations throughout the school. Students will also be informed by home room teachers of the procedures to access student welfare staff and periodically reminded of their existence.

//2.4.3 Referral// Students can be referred to the Student Welfare Officer by their teachers or year level coordinators. As part of the regular ‘Student Wellbeing’ meetings teachers will be informed of strategies to promote awareness of students who may benefit from referral to welfare support. Teachers can informally refer students to the Student Welfare Officer or follow formal procedures at their discretion except in cases where compulsory referral is required.

2.4.//3.1 Compulsory Referral// Students whose actions fall under the aegis of the Student Behaviour and Discipline Policy may be compulsorily referred to the Student Welfare Officer as outlined in the policy.

//2.5 Whole School Approach// Regular ‘Student Wellbeing’ meetings will be held with the teachers of each year level and the student welfare committee so that teachers and the welfare team can share concerns and information. This will be a prime tool in maintaining a culture that regards student wellbeing as the foundation of positive educational outcomes. One of the main aims of these regular meetings will be to identify problems and potential problems before they become serious enough to warrant the intervention of the Student Welfare Officer. The meeting will also provide teachers with a forum mediated by the professional knowledge of the Student Welfare Officer to discuss with other teachers how to work together to meet a students’ needs before, during or after problems become critical. The focus of these meetings is explicitly not on student behaviour but rather on building strong relationships with students and using these to enhance their wellbeing and learning.

//2.6 Drug Education:// Drug education is regarded as an important sub element of student welfare as we recognise that only an informed student is capable of making informed decisions. Accordingly drug education is built into our curriculum and taught at year 9 as part of the physical key knowledge area.

//2.7 Bullying:// Bullying is something that our school regards as alien to its culture of care and inclusiveness. We therefore have specific anti bullying programs in place as well as restorative practices that aim to minimise the harm that any bullying incident may create. Information about bullying and strategies for students to take a proactive approach in this area form a strong component of the general student welfare information that we advertise across the campus. Additionally, we education on the impacts of bullying on self concept is covered in depth at year 7 in the moral/philosophical key knowledge area.

//2.8 Links// The student welfare program policy is complemented by the Individual Differences and Inclusiveness Policy and the Co Curricular Policy. Accordingly, the Student Welfare Officer will maintain close professional connections with the Co-curricular Coordinator to maintain high standards of student wellbeing in both curricular and co curricular activities.

The student welfare policy focuses on providing an inclusive and caring school climate that fosters in staff and students a sense of belonging to something worthwhile. While the climate of a school is difficult to quantify nonetheless there is sufficient evidence to indicate that school climate significantly impacts on student wellbeing which in turn affects their academic achievement. (Freiberg & Stein 1999) In fact, the climate of the school is a key element of a successful school welfare policy which is why the policy aims to influence that culture as positively as any guiding principles can. (Paterson et al. 2007)
 * Rationale**

By adopting a policy that encourages a culture of proactive focus on student wellbeing and learning we hope to minimise the loss of learning time that occurs when schools need to react to disciplinary matters. (McEvoy & Welker 2000) Accordingly, the student welfare policy aims to facilitate quality relationships between student’s and staff as an integral part of a positive school culture. Both common sense and research reveal that strong relationships between students and teachers translate into improved learning outcomes for students. (Pomeroy 1999)

The student welfare policy is designed with an understanding that students’ social and emotional wellbeing is a product of a complex interrelationship of factors from school, home and the community.(Thomas 2008) By viewing each student’s wellbeing holistically we can actively encourage relationships in these areas and help to constructively develop students’ “resilience, positive social orientation and positive work orientation” .(Thomas 2008)

In terms of in school actions over which the policy has the power to directly influence as broad an approach as possible is implemented. By regularly involving all relevant staff members in a continuing discussion about student wellbeing and actively fostering a culture that maintains this as a high priority we aim to maximise the school’s ability to bring about positive change in students lives. Again, the data correlates with common sense and the opinions of researchers in the field to indicate that student welfare programmes that address the whole school environment are more effective than those that focus on a single aspect. (Weare 2000) (Hearn 2006) (Dejong &Kerr- Roubicek 2007)

As part of the whole school approach, the student welfare policy aims to integrate academic assistance with social and emotional support and encourage a culture that views them as complementary. The recognition that the academic effectiveness of a school is inextricably linked with the wellbeing of its students is a core assumption of this policy and any policy that ignores this complexity is bound to have less effect in the long term. (Sammons 1997)

An important part of the whole school approach is a drive to make student wellbeing a ‘high profile’ issue. This is achieved on multiple fronts. Most importantly by the daily interaction of staff with students in a supportive culture but also by the advertisement of student welfare issues and statements of the importance of student welfare around the school, the easily accessible avenues for further support, and the interaction of the student welfare officer with all elements of the school. This prioritisation of student welfare has been identified as a key element to a successful approach that translates to a safer, supportive, and more effective school environment. (Elias 1997) ( Weare 2000) ( DET 2006)