Positive wellbeing is fundamental to a child’s ability to learn, develop and thrive at school.

We know that when students feel supported, they are more engaged with their learning.

At Sydney Catholic Schools, we commit to providing safe, supportive and inclusive environments which nurture the wellbeing of all students and staff in our community.

Our student wellbeing policy is underpinned by the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework. The framework recognises five elements that are key to supporting the whole school community to build and maintain safe, positive relationships and wellbeing: leadership, inclusion, student voice, partnerships and support.

This is complemented by the Be You Framework, a national initiative for educators aimed at promoting and protecting positive mental health in children and young people. The integration of both frameworks supports our school communities to provide every student with the strongest foundation possible for them to reach their aspirations in learning and in life.

We have a systemic approach to wellbeing and positive behaviour with tiers of support to meet the diverse needs of staff, students and families. The offerings range from whole school initiatives, actively seeking student voice, system policies on anti-bullying, student counselling, staff training in student wellbeing, along with targeted interventions for students with complex social and emotional needs.

St Gertrude’s Catholic Primary School Smithfield implements programs and initiatives to promote and encourage positive social behaviours, effective communication and problem-solving skills by all  students. Our School-Wide Positive Behaviour for Learning program (SPBL) promotes our key expectations of Respect, Responsibility and Safety. This assists our school to provide a safe and supportive environment guided by the values and traditions of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Students who model these expectations, along with our school motto ‘Desire God and Learning’,  are celebrated through our SPBL reward program and Merit Awards.

Other initiatives include:

  • Buddy programs for our younger students
  • Buddy benches to encourage new friendships
  • Peer Support help with positive play initiatives for our students 
  • School counsellor support program – Catholic Care
  • Star of the Week Awards
  • SPBL Reward program
  • Student Merit Awards
StGertrudesCatholicPrimarySchoolSmithfield_SchoolLife_StudentWellbeing

Anti-bullying policy

Sydney Catholic Schools rejects all forms of bullying behaviours, including online (or cyber) bullying, by maintaining a commitment to providing safe, inclusive and respectful learning communities that promote student wellbeing for learning. Staff at Sydney Catholic Schools are committed to employing wellbeing strategies that allow for a healthy school environment where bullying is less likely to occur.

If your child is experiencing bullying of any kind, or you have a wellbeing concern, we have a number of support services available for parents/carers and students, as listed below.

Support services: