Wellbeing, Engagement and Belonging (WEB)

Junior School

Helping students develop a mindset and the capabilities needed to flourish in an ever-changing world is central to the wellbeing program. Wellbeing underpins all learning and permeates every aspect of school and life. However, like our academic program, our wellbeing framework is thoughtfully and intentionally crafted providing challenging and rewarding opportunities for learning and growth.

From Reception through to Year 5, the WEB program is sequentially designed so that age appropriate learning can occur. With a focus on the development of social and emotional skills, students are supported to become agents of their own lives, leading to a strong sense of empowerment both within and beyond the school gates. Psychologists and key experts across a range of related fields are engaged annually to work with teachers, parents (see parent connect) and students to ensure that the topics explored are grounded in evidence based research. Topics covered will vary from year to year in a program that is deliberately flexible and responsive to the needs of students at any given time.

Central to wellbeing is a strong sense of belonging and connection within the school community. Through the Mentoring program, all classes have a buddy class with activities designed to foster cross age connections and build on the nurturing and supportive nature of the friendships at Walford. Formal and informal mentoring encourages students to feel valued and positive about their interactions with others inspiring optimism and aspiration for the future through the role modelling that occurs.

Middle School

During the adolescent years, it is vital that we help students develop a growth mindset along with the social and emotional capabilities needed to flourish in an ever-changing world. Wellbeing underpins all learning and permeates every aspect of school and life. However, like our academic program, our wellbeing framework is thoughtfully and intentionally crafted providing challenging and rewarding opportunities for learning and growth.

When your daughter enters the Middle School, she will have her own mentor who will support, guide and encourage her academic and personal growth. She will see her mentor every day so that she can be assisted to maintain a healthy, achievable schedule, develop her study habits and be encouraged to participate in the myriad of experiences available to her within and beyond the classroom in a balanced way.

The mentors work in partnership with the Heads of House, School Counsellor, wellbeing curriculum coordinator and the Heads of School to provide a “wrap around approach” that supports the emotional needs of students during these fundamental years.

When students feel empowered their wellbeing thrives. Unique and central to Walford’s wellbeing framework is our student wellbeing committee. This committee of student representatives from across all year levels, works closely with the School’s wellbeing professionals to co-create the content of the formal wellbeing program, ensuring that the topics covered are responsive to the real life needs of students at any given time. The School engages psychologists and key experts throughout the year to ensure that the topics explored are grounded in evidence based research.

Fundamental to wellbeing is a strong sense of belonging and connection within the school community. In addition to their adult mentors, all students in Years 6 and 7 and new Year 8 and 9 students will each have a peer support leader, an older girl in the school who is trained to provide support and encouragement that helps to build the confidence of their younger peers.

Senior School

The move from adolescent to adult and the realisation that school years are coming to an end can be both exhilarating and daunting for young people. It is during the Senior years of Schooling that young people come to realise that a world of opportunity awaits them and at Walford, we aim to help young adults develop the social and emotional capabilities needed to flourish in an ever-changing world.

Wellbeing underpins all learning and permeates every aspect of school and life. However, like our academic program, our wellbeing (WEB) framework is thoughtfully and intentionally crafted providing challenging and rewarding opportunities for learning and growth.

In the Senior School each student has her own mentor, a teacher, who supports, guides and encourages her academic and personal growth. Girls see their mentor everyday and it is through this close contact that they are able to carefully plan a healthy, achievable schedule, develop study habits and participate in the myriad of activities on offer at Walford within and beyond the classroom in a balanced way. The mentors work in partnership with the Heads of House, School Counsellor, wellbeing curriculum coordinator and the Heads of School to provide a “wrap around approach” that supports the emotional needs of students during these years.

Unique and central to Walford’s wellbeing framework is our student wellbeing committee. This committee of student representatives from across all year levels, works closely with the School’s wellbeing professionals to co-create the content of the formal WEB program, ensuring that the topics covered are responsive to the real life needs of students at any given time. The School engages psychologists and key experts throughout the year to ensure that the topics explored are grounded in evidence based research. In the senior school, WEB sessions are run in vertical groupings providing valuable peer mentoring and support which is proven to be most beneficial at this age and stage of development.