Wellbeing is at the centre of growing hearts and minds.
Why is holistic education important for our students?
What makes our students truly real-world ready?
The answer exists within our approach to student wellbeing.
Research indicates that young people thrive when they participate and feel connected to an environment that encourages their voice, gives them ownership over design and decisions in their learning activities, allows choice, and provides a challenge.
The student’s learning environment plays a crucial role in their development. Whether in or out of the classroom, the most authentic learning experiences come from integrating wellbeing into all facets of education – for the young individual and the staff guiding them.
ELTHAM’s holistic approach to education fosters individual development and community spirit (growing hearts), while celebrating curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking (growing minds) – with wellbeing at the centre.
A wellbeing framework with a central focus on the student
Our Student Wellbeing Framework encompasses the collective, whole-school approach we take to support our students as they travel through their years at ELTHAM College.
It has been developed and supported by evidence and research of best practice in the fields of wellbeing, education, health, positive psychology, pedagogy and curriculum, and social and emotional child development.
In the spirit of authentic education, formal learning programs are underpinned by a culture of genuine care for every child’s individual wellbeing and development.
The Wellbeing Framework is demonstrated by our 6 wellbeing elements surrounding ELTHAM College’s interlocking three leaves motif. This is symbolic of our approach to student wellbeing; a whole-school approach underpinning ELTHAM College, it’s values and priorities. Student wellbeing is deeply engrained within ELTHAM’s core principles – and can be seen and felt by every student.
Student Wellbeing is placed in the centre, surrounded by a network of interconnected layers of support: people, programs, and policies. They each play an integral part to ensure every ELTHAM College student is the benefactor of our wellbeing efforts, nurtured in our environment.
Our Six Wellbeing Elements
Our Student Wellbeing Framework incorporates our education philosophies of authentic learning, growing hearts and minds, and embarking on a daring adventure as they journey through their years at ELTHAM College.
We believe that wellbeing is at the heart of every child’s success.
The 6 underpinning elements that enable our students to thrive are:
Student Voice and Agency
Students are encouraged to be active participants in their own learning and wellbeing journey. They are decision makers and agents of change in their academic environment, social spaces and personal goals. They feel connected and use responsiveness and empathy to be respectful, resilient and secure.
Leadership
All school leaders play an active role in encouraging a positive learning environment where the whole school community feels involved, connected, safe, and valued. Leadership includes students as peer role models and mentors in cross-age engagement.
Community and Relationships
ELTHAM College staff, students, and families share an understanding of wellbeing which encourages thinking about others and our place as part of a broader ELTHAM College community. Relationships are based on positive behaviours, an acceptance of each community member, and what they contribute to the culture at ELTHAM College.
Partnerships
Families and communities work in partnership with the school to support student wellbeing, learning, and safety. From our Cyber Safety Project to our long-term engagement with Big Group Hug, these initiatives contribute to the richness of support that strengthens wellbeing, sense of purpose, and community life.
Support and Inclusion
Wellbeing is embedded into our daily experiences to enable all students to feel championed and a strong sense of belonging. All members of the school community engage in our friendly and warm school culture, which values diversity. We foster a welcoming and respectful space for our community members, so they can positively contribute to the school and to each other.
Programs and Resources
Staff and students engage in wellbeing systems, conversations and dispositions supported by evidence-based practices (e.g., Tuning into Teens; Positive Education; Pivot Wellbeing Tracking). Appropriate resources are allocated to the improvement of student wellbeing based on individual and group needs.
ELTHAM College offers our families the award-winning, online SchoolTV wellbeing and parenting resource. SchoolTV helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle. Current families can login to ELTHAM's SchoolTV platform to access these resources anytime.
Our Key Wellbeing Outcomes
Student Wellbeing at ELTHAM College is nurtured and supported by a comprehensive whole school approach, which aims to:
- Encourage students to use their creative and critical thinking skills to assist their personal wellbeing
- Empower the whole school community to feel good and to function at their best
- Assist everyone to feel safe, respected, and engaged
- Build a growth mindset within the student cohort and use their character strengths
- Deliver curriculum and/or programs which provide students with a framework to develop positive values, attitudes, and behaviours
- Develop a sense of belonging and connectedness, find meaning and purpose
- Create a shared wellbeing vocabulary
- Provide young people with an opportunity to use their voice to promote wellbeing
- Enable the monitoring, measurement, and assessment of student wellbeing
- Support, improve, and reinforce academic, wellbeing, and co-curricular outcomes.
Our framework supports our students’ academic experiences and personal goals. It is designed to create a safe, inspiring, stimulating, and nurturing environment for them to grow and prosper.
ELTHAM College, growing hearts and minds since 1974.