BEST Cluster
Wellbeing Strategy
DRAFT
Feb 2007
CONTENTS
Why do we need a wellbeing strategy?
Elements of a wellbeing strategy
Linking wellbeing and learning
Wellbeing for all
Our common vision
Active partnerships
Evidence based practice
Based in our community
Vision in to practice
Working at every level
Every school is different
A focus on transition
Who’s out there to work with us?
Reviewing where we’ve come from
1.
Why do we need a wellbeing strategy?
There are several reasons why it is essential for school communities to have a strategy
for focussing on the wellbeing of the school population. Firstly, we know that
wellbeing and learning outcomes are interrelated, and that learning outcomes are
compromised when wellbeing is undermined. Secondly, we know that the wellbeing
needs of a school community are complex, and that resolution of wellbeing issues
requires a planned, comprehensive, integrated and sustainable approach. Working as a
cluster enables us to focus on larger and more entrenched welfare concerns, and this
in turn requires even greater co-ordination and planning. Finally we know that the
very experience of school impacts on health and wellbeing outcomes, in ways that
may be positive or negative. Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.
a) wellbeing and learning outcomes are interrelated
Connectedness, engagement and belonging are three overlapping terms that are often
used to describe a student’s positive orientation towards learning and school.
Research from around the world demonstrates that improving students’ sense of
connectedness to school has a strong positive impact on both their learning outcomes
and their sense of wellbeing. Building a sense of connectedness for all children and
young people in our schools must therefore be a priority. The Wingspread
Declaration: A National Strategy for Improving School Connectedness (University of
Minnesota; see Appendix One) provides a concise yet detailed overview of key
research in this area.
b) complex issues require comprehensive responses
The factors that lead to a child or young person’s wellbeing and mental health being
undermined, or their connectedness to school and learning being eroded, are many
and varied. Generally there is no single event that causes these problems to occur,
rather, a range of issues, interactions and events over a long period of time work
together to negative effect. These include issues wholly within the responsibility of
the school, as well as relationships and interactions in the home, with peers, and
elsewhere. Because these issues and interactions are complex and varied, no single
activity or program that the school can provide will ‘fix the problem’; a
comprehensive, integrated and multi-level approach is required.
c) the experience of school impacts on health and wellbeing outcomes
Young people spend close to half their waking hours in school, and many of their
significant relationships and experiences occur there. For these reasons, the
Gatehouse Project Team Guidelines for Whole School Change recognise that “The very experience of school impacts on health and wellbeing outcomes…
Health outcomes are compromised in situations where students feel
victimised, socially isolated, bored, and when they do not feel noticed or
valued. Health outcomes are likely to be improved when students feel
connected to school and experience a sense of security, social connectedness
and positive regard (Bond et al, 2001, Glover et al, 1998, Resnick et al, 1997)
Moreover, educational outcomes are likely to be better when emotional wellbeing is enhanced (Zubrick 1997)…Resnick and associates (1997) found that
what mattered most to young adolescents was a school environment in which
they felt that they were treated fairly, were close to others, and were part of the
school.”
The Guidelines go on to state “…a positive and supportive school environment is of fundamental
importance in promoting the health and well-being of all young people. The
creation of such an environment requires the involvement of all members of
the school community.”
2.
Elements of a cluster wellbeing strategy
a) a common vision
An essential element of a wellbeing strategy is a clear statement of a shared vision for
the wellbeing of all members of the cluster community. Such a statement forms a
basis for policy, and a framework for developing programs and other actions.
A truly shared vision is one in which all members of the cluster community have the
opportunity for input, and the needs of all are recognised. Achieving this can take
time, but in itself consultation and sharing of this type helps to build positive regard,
communication and a sense of greater security – key elements in maintaining and
improving wellbeing.
b) an evidence base
Schools are very busy places. There are many demands on a teacher’s time, and the
curriculum at each year level is crowded. It is important that we look for approaches
to maintaining and improving wellbeing that we know to be effective, and that, as
much as possible, do not increase demands on staff or students’ time. There is a
considerable and growing evidence base for this. The Gatehouse Project Team
Guidelines summarise an evidence based approach as follows –
1.
Identify relevant risk and protective factors that:
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2.
have strong associations with emotional well-being or sense of
belonging at school
are common
are modifiable
are under the school’s influence.
Create an operational framework for implementation through:
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3.
classroom
whole school
school-community partnerships.
Use evidence-based interventions which are:
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feasible
effective.
“The model proposed in these guidelines is built on the following principles:
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A sense of connectedness is a central element of adolescent well-being.
School communities have a major role and capacity to promote a sense of
connectedness.
Systematic collection of data provides a framework for planning and action.
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A shared understanding of the risk and protective factors in social
environments of students is essential as a basis for collaborative action.
Promotion of security, communication and positive regard is best achieved by
integrating feasible and effective, evidence-based strategies with current
school policies, programs and practices.
Strong linkages between a school and its community ensure continuity of care
for young people.”
Evidence is important not only in adopting and utilising appropriate programs and
activities, but also in identifying key issues and concerns initially. Attitudes to School
and Gatehouse Project surveys are just two ways in which we can gather an accurate
picture of the needs of young people in our schools.
Further detail about an evidence base for our work in this cluster is provided (on
page…)
c) a range of programs and activities across and within schools,
responsive to identified needs
Every school community is unique, and has unique needs. At the same time, some
wellbeing issues and concerns will be common to all schools across the cluster. There
is no “one size fits all” approach to improving wellbeing, but if we have a clear
understanding of the needs of each school we can plan those activities and programs
that will be of use across the cluster as well as those that individual schools need.
It is important to remember that most of what we know is effective practice in
improving wellbeing in schools is not in the form of additional, curriculum-based
programs focussing on particular issues. While these can be useful, we can also
achieve much by focussing on relationships, the structure and environment of our
classrooms and school grounds, the ‘teachable moments’ that arise in our day-to-day
interactions, and a range of other opportunities.
d) a focus on individual, classroom, whole-school, cluster and community
levels
Maintaining and improving wellbeing requires a focus on both prevention and
intervention. These can be expressed in the way we work with and relate to other
individuals in our school community; in the environment we create in our classrooms
for teaching and learning and the activities we do there; in the policies and programs
delivered at the whole-school level; in the teams and processes we are involved in at
the cluster level; and in the way we engage with families and the broader community.
The most effective wellbeing strategies will pay attention to needs at each of these
levels.
e) does not replace individual school policies and programs but should
assist in their review
A cluster wellbeing strategy does not replace individual school wellbeing policies. As
we have identified above, every school is unique and has its own needs. An effective
wellbeing strategy will, however, assist schools in the development and review of
policies and programs, by providing an evidence base and a framework for action.
Detailed below are some key components of evidence-based practice in improving
and maintaining wellbeing in schools, some strategies for action research and
evaluation, and some critical questions for reviewing school wellbeing policies.
f) a focus on security, communication and positive regard
The research and extensive literature review undertaken to inform the Gatehouse
Project found three key themes, or ‘pillars’ that should underpin school practice in
order to maintain and promote wellbeing. These are security, communication and
positive regard. The Gatehouse Project Team Guidelines describe them as follows -

Security
A sense of security and trust in others is fundamental to emotional
well-being. Members of the school community need to feel safe, not
just safe from physical harm, or threats of physical harm, but also safe
to be themselves, whatever their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity,
family background and interests. They need to feel able to express a
point of view, or take part in school activities without fear of being
ridiculed, left out, or isolated.
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Communication
Communication is important for building social connectedness, and
includes having the skills and opportunities to talk with others who are
supportive. This is important for all young people, and particularly for
those experiencing difficult times. While some staff in schools have
particular responsibility for supporting students through difficult times,
it is important for all staff and students to have strategies for
communicating well with each other on a daily basis.
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Positive regard
Positive regard is related to perceptions of being able to participate
fully in day to day school activities, and a sense that the contributions
made are recognised, valued, and acknowledged. The potential for
increasing participation and positive regard is large. Within the context
of everyday relationships, many simple strategies can be implemented
for engaging the whole school community.
Considering each of the ‘pillars’ at the classroom, whole-school and community
levels gave the Gatehouse Project the following operational framework –
g) participation of all members of school community
As wellbeing is so clearly related to the relationships, opportunities and interactions
we have as we move through school (and other environments), maintaining and
improving the wellbeing of all members of the school community is the responsibility
of all members of the school community. Student welfare co-ordinators, school nurses
and pastoral care staff play key roles in responding to wellbeing needs in the school,
but it is important for all students, staff and parents to be aware of the role they can
and do play. Any wellbeing strategy must therefore consider options for engaging
with and promoting to the whole school community.
h) resourcing, training, professional development and promotion
Enhancing wellbeing through a strategic approach should not involve considerable
extra time and stress on teachers and other staff; if this is the case, then it is sure to
fail, and will certainly not enhance the wellbeing of those staff! It needs to be
recognised, however, that changing practice takes time and requires some effort. Staff
need to be resourced and supported through this process, including through the
provision of professional development and training opportunities. For this to happen,
key staff need to be identified as having particular responsibilities.
i) review
An essential component of the implementation of any new process or strategy is the
monitoring and review of progress. Action research cycles incorporate this as the final
stage of each ‘rotation’ through the cycle. The Gatehouse Project Team Guidelines
provide a process and tools for reviewing and evaluating wellbeing work in schools.
3.
Linking wellbeing and learning
More and more, attention is being drawn to the link between wellbeing and learning,
particularly on the important role of connectedness to school. As well as the academic
research in this area, such as that summarised in the Wingspread Declaration: A
National Strategy for Improving School Connectedness (see Appendix One),
education policy, such as the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) and the
Principals of Learning and Teaching (PoLT) ask us to consider the link.
Wellbeing can of course be influenced by both what we teach, and how we teach.
When our curriculum is relevant to the diversity of students in our classrooms,
delivered in a style that allows for active engagement and participation and caters to
individual learning styles, in a classroom that enhances each students sense of
connectedness, wellbeing is supported and promoted.
VELS explicitly recognises the importance of a range of social skills to both learning
and wellbeing. As McGrath (2001) states, “Social skills competencies make
relationships, school, family, life and work all easier to negotiate”. Curriculum
focussed specifically on social skills, or other aspects of relationships and wellbeing,
can be important, but perhaps more importantly, we can model social skills and
positive relationships in the way we interact with each of our students every day.
Developing Lifelong Learners in the Middle Years of Schooling (MCEETYA, 2005)
found that the most important way in which students developed positive attitudes
towards lifelong learning was by role modelling from individual teachers “both as
learners themselves and as illuminators of specific attitudes regarding the importance
of learning in our lives. Even in a school where reforms may be failing such teachers
exist and continue to be role models”.
Having high expectations of our students, and creating opportunities for all students to
succeed supports student learning and wellbeing. Brendro et al (1990) found that
“When the child’s need to be competent is satisfied, motivation for further
achievement is enhanced: deprived of opportunities for success, young people express
their frustration through troubled behaviour or by retreating into helplessness or
inferiority.”
A key way in which we assist our students to connect to learning, and enhance their
wellbeing, is by working with them as partners in learning. Section 6 provides more
detail about this.
4.
Wellbeing for all
In a school environment, the wellbeing of one group cannot come at the expense of
another. A positive environment for learning must also be a positive environment for
teaching, or it will not be sustainable. Similarly, our work in creating positive
relationships with students will be undermined if parents and families feel negative
about or alienated from their child’s school. Attention must be given to strategies that
sustain and enhance the health and wellbeing of all staff, and those that help to build
positive relationships between home and school.
Much of a school’s time focussed on wellbeing can be taken up by a minority of
students identified as ‘at risk’ or having particular behaviours or issues of concern.
Whilst some specialist attention and focus on these students may be needed, it is
important that a wellbeing strategy caters to all students, for a number of reasons -
for each student with special needs that we identify there are likely to
be others who are just beneath our radar but still have real concerns
and need for support;
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we can improve the wellbeing of those with special needs if wherever
possible we find ways to include them in universal student activities
and programs, with support as necessary; and
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the wellbeing of everyone in our school communities matters, and it is
important that we maintain a focus on all.
5.
Our common vision
For this section I would like, after consultation with relevant cluster teams, to
develop a plain language summary of the key points of the overall strategy, and
work with staff, students and parents to refine and promote discussion. I am
imagining a single page that would cover key points such as –
wellbeing for all
link between learning and wellbeing – the importance of connectedness
everyone’s responsibility - partnerships
principles or values adopted by the cluster including Belonging, Engaging ,
Succeeding Together
security, communication and positive regard
While it may be time consuming and difficult to engage parents and all students in
this process, doing so would itself be a considerable piece of wellbeing focussed
work and would demonstrate the principles of engagement, connectedness, positive
regard and shared responsibility that we are trying to promote.
After a consultation phase it may be possible to develop the ‘vision’ in to a small
pamphlet that could go home to families, and could also include other related
messages, such as “It’s not OK to be away”.
6.
Active partnerships
As promotion of wellbeing is a responsibility of all in the school community, it is
important to develop and maintain active partnerships between staff, students and
families, as well as with relevant community organisations. This includes consultation
and opportunities for everyone to ‘have a say’, and the creation of structures for
decision-making and activity that are inclusive and welcoming. For students, these are
usually the structures in which they learn most effectively as well. Enquiry based
learning models, such as the R U Making A Difference (RUMAD) program, lend
themselves to the development of partnerships between students and adults and a
focus on issues of shared concern.
Doing It Differently: Improving Young People’s Engagement with School discusses
the importance of genuine opportunities for student participation as follows –
“Genuine involvement and participation in a broad range of school activities is
a recurring theme in middle years, school improvement, positive youth
development and retention focussed literature. This challenge has been
increasingly taken up in recent years in Victorian programs and projects. The
challenge is to move beyond special projects and make such efforts everyday
expectations and activities in schools.
“Research on participation, particularly consultation with young people,
emphasises that effective student participation involves:
 creating partnerships between young people and adults
 ensuring that all young people have access to opportunities to take
part
 providing a wide range of activities that have meaning for all young
people”
Building strong and positive partnerships with parents and families can be a long and
difficult process. Research, and the experience of staff in schools in our cluster, tells
us that while this may be the case, it is crucial to improving both learning and
wellbeing outcomes for students in our schools.
In 1974 Professor Hedley Beare told the Australian Council of State School
Organisations that education could not proceed without parent participation. He
insisted that parents must be accepted as participants: first, because of the empirical
data on the value of this for the child’s education; second, because schools are
ultimately responsible to the parents and the community. “Parents are partners in
education not merely as people who are co-opted. Partnership implies that there is no
choice; involvement is, on the other hand, a grace and favour thing” (from Learning
Matters, Vol 4 No 2, 1999, A publication of the Catholic Education Office,
Melbourne).
Doing It Differently: Improving Young People’s Engagement with School lists
strategies for developing relationships with parents, as well as some of the barriers to
achieving this. A number of schools in our cluster are developing programs that
actively engage parents, and these are described below.
Community organisations can also be very important in supporting wellbeing in
schools. As described in Doing It Differently the traditional role of these organisations
has been –
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service provision to individuals within school settings
supporting children and families outside school
running programs for targeted groups of students, and
developing and delivering knowledge-based health programs as part of
curriculum.
While these roles continue to be important, the development of more active
partnerships, such as the cluster has with Neighbourhood Renewal in Doveton –
Eumemmerring, offer potential for more comprehensive and sustainable activity. An
example of this, the Year 9 program at Doveton Secondary College, is described
below.
7.
Evidence based practice
As described earlier, we can use evidence to identify and consider the key issues that
affect wellbeing and connectedness in our schools. We do this when we analyse
Attitudes to School, Gatehouse Project and other surveys; when we run focus groups
with staff, students or parents; when we identify common behavioural concerns
amongst our students; and when we consider school attendance levels. It is important
that when we plan work on improving wellbeing in our schools we know which issues
are of concern, how common they are, and that it is possible, with effort, to create
positive change.
A common and useful approach to using evidence to focus our work in wellbeing is
the Risk and Protective Factors Framework. This asks us to identify and measure the
frequency of a range of positive and negative factors that impact on connectedness
and wellbeing. Risk and protective factors that have been shown to be important in
impacting on school connectedness include the following (from the Gatehouse
Project Team Guidelines) Risk factors
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absenteeism
alienation
bullying and harassment
disengagement
isolation
low academic achievement
violence
Protective factors
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positive relationships with peers and teachers
close, confiding relationship with at least one adult
feelings of positive regard
involvement and participation in school and community activities
involvement and participation in school decision making groups
opportunities and skills for achievement
opportunities and skills for communication
recognition of contribution and achievements
sense of security
Strategies developed from a Risk and Protective Factors approach focus on reducing
risk factors and enhancing protective factors, again prioritising those that are
common, and within control of the school.
The Gatehouse Project Team Guidelines, Doing It Differently, and the Wingspread
Declaration all describe evidence based approaches to whole-school change, and the
Gatehouse Project provides a process and structure for implementing such an
approach in individual schools or across a cluster.
8.
Based in our community
This section will best be completed through discussion at the Cluster Community
Steering Committee, which brings together the schools with key community
agencies. The process will be assisted through use of the ABCD tool, which is a
framework for identifying community strengths and resources.
Finding out what our community needs. How do we know?
What’s unique about Doveton – Eumemmerring? What’s the
evidence?
Strengths and resources of our community – ABCD tool
Local government data
Framework for Understanding Poverty
Neighbourhood Renewal
9.
Vision in to practice
Once the general framework of this strategy has been approved, this section
requires a discussion at the Development and Management Teams.
how are we making this happen?
what resources do we need?
10.
Working at every level
As we identified earlier, the most effective wellbeing strategies will pay attention to
the needs of students, staff and families and develop appropriate responses on a oneto-one basis, at the classroom level, in whole-school policy and practice, across the
cluster, and in the partnerships we build between schools and the broader community.
At each of these levels we can focus on those activities and processes that enhance
security, communication and positive regard for all.
This section will include a grid that lists programs, activities and strategies
happening across the cluster. Brainstorming this at the Development and/or
Welfare and Transition Team meetings can assist us in identifying where we are
already working effectively and how we can expand successful approaches, as well
as in identifying gaps.
11.
Every school is different
examples of good practice from each school, such as –
DSC – working with parents on IEPs, Year 9 prog
ESC – student goal setting day
CLPS – RU MAD
DHPS – Particip8
DNPS – parent partnership
EPS – parent friendship group
JCPS – Sudanese families program
It would be preferable for the relevant staff of each school (or even a student or
parent) to write each section of this. Alternatively I could interview people and
develop summaries from this. We could also keep adding to this section,
particularly on the cluster website.
Also Breakfast clubs,
12.
A focus on transition
Research tells us that the middle years and the process of transition from primary to
secondary school are crucial for young people in maintaining a sense of
connectedness to school and learning. Disengagement from school during this time is
best considered not as an event but rather as a process influenced by interaction
between a young person, his or her parents/carers, teachers, and the school and
community contexts. For this reason disengagement is likely to be best addressed by
multiple integrated strategies involving students, schools, families, and other
organisations within the community.
Doing It Differently: Improving Young People’s Engagement with School summarises
key strategies recommended in the literature on transition.
Our cluster has worked to develop a process for ensuring that the transition process is
a comfortable and clear one that maintains a strong focus on the key principles of
security, communication and positive regard.
This section will include a description of transition processes that the cluster has
developed and initiated and key transition documents.
13.
Who’s out there to work with us?
Rather than just a list, this section will invite a number of key agencies and services
to themselves write a blurb about their work, specifically as it relates to this
Wellbeing Strategy and ways in which they can assist us. Neighbourhood Renewal,
City of Casey, School Focused Youth Services and South East Family Services are
amongst those it would be useful to approach, along with others identified by school
staff.
14.
Reviewing where we’ve come from
An essential component of the implementation of any new process or strategy is the
monitoring and review of progress. Action research cycles incorporate this as the final
stage of each ‘rotation’ through the cycle. The Gatehouse Project Team Guidelines
provide a process and tools for reviewing and evaluating wellbeing work in schools.
This section would describe a useful process for us as a cluster to review our
progress on wellbeing, and list tools for doing so, such as GHP tools and tables
questions for critiquing policy and practice
action research cycle
attitudes to school, GHP surveys etc