Pastoral Care
The School’s ethos reflects a concern for the development of character and articulates this through the symbolism of the Trinity triangle as a representation of our desire to cultivate Mind, Body and Spirit.
The Pastoral Care programme reflects current educational and psychological research, providing both care and discipline. An effective pastoral system requires unconditional regard for all individuals, together with the establishment of fair limits and logical consequences for negative behaviour.
Aims
> to provide a high-quality standard of care and guidance to enable each student to become a responsible, contributing member of society
> to encourage an understanding of the School’s Christian foundation
> to encourage boys to value their self-worth and the humanity of others
> to develop resilience and interpersonal competence
> to encourage self-discipline and personal responsibility
Objectives
> to present the Gospel so that each student may make an informed personal decision in matters of faith
> to teach Christian values
> to seek to meet each student’s spiritual, intellectual, social and physical needs
> to promote and teach understanding and tolerance
> to teach the principles of rights and responsibilities
> to clarify the School’s expectations and encourage self-discipline
> to recognise individual needs
> to promote a culture of mutual respect
> to provide logical consequences for inappropriate behaviour
Key Pastoral Care Staff
The Headmaster and School Executive
The Headmaster and School Executive are responsible for the overall delivery of pastoral care at the School.
Each Head of School is the Chairperson of their respective Welfare Team and Pastoral Committee.
Chaplain
The Chaplain and Assistant Chaplains play an important pastoral role in the School and a representative of the Chaplaincy team sits on each Welfare Team and Pastoral Committee.
Housemasters
The Housemaster aims to know each student well to guide and support his all-round development. This includes:
- ensuring each student’s academic growth is monitored
- encouraging participation in sport and co-curricular activities
Classroom Teachers (Pre-K to Year 6)
The Classroom Teacher is the principal provider of pastoral care and will normally be the first contact person for parents.
Pastoral Leaders provide support for classroom teachers and may contact parents with more serious or repeated breaches of discipline and counselling before involving the Deputy or Head of School.
Psychologists
The major responsibilities of the School Psychologists include:
- facilitating programmes to develop intrapersonal and interpersonal skills
- psychological and educational assessment of individual students
- consulting with parents and teachers concerning educational support
- providing short term counselling to individual students
- maintaining relationships with external health professionals
The Careers and Student Pathways Adviser
The Careers and Student Pathways Adviser, in consultation with Housemasters, Psychologists and Academic Support teachers, provides assistance to individual students in career planning and academic course planning. The Careers and Student Pathways Adviser also co-ordinates vocational assessment and consultation for Year 10 students.
Pastoral Care Programmes
A number of programmes and activities contribute to the Pastoral Care system and operate at various levels of intensity, depending upon student need.
Proactive programmes aim to equip students with the skills to manage issues with which they are likely to be confronted. Drug education, mental health education, decision-making and managing stress provide strategies to help students cope with present and future events. Many are developmental, while others are reactive in responding to particular events or
circumstances.
ecare@trinity.nsw.edu.au provides an opportunity for students to report concerns or incidents to our School Psychologists, which they may otherwise be reluctant to disclose face-to-face.
The Pastoral Care Programme includes:
> The Tutor Group for Middle and Senior School
> The Life Skills Programme
> The Peer Support Programme
> The Year 7 Orientation Programme, including Year 7 Camp and Swap Day
> The Year 9 Field Studies Programme
> The Year 11 Conference
> The School Officers’ Retreat
> The Sport and Co-curricular Programme
> The Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Curriculum
> The Chapel Programme
> The Career Education Programme
> The Trinity Education Support Service – Counselling and Psychological Service
Life Skills Programme
The Life Skills Programme is part of a whole School approach to health and wellbeing at Trinity. The programme is implemented in the Tutor Group in the Middle and Senior School, and in class in the Junior and Preparatory School.
Last Updated on 07/02/2023
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