Pastoral care is key to our strong sense of community across the School. There are many threads to the program – both formal and informal – and all have the intention of addressing the well-being of each student at their individual point of need.
Successful transitions
Transition to a new situation can be difficult for many of us. We aim to make the transition to our School, between campuses and, ultimately, from our School, as positive as possible. Careful consideration is given to the development stage of our students and we plan actions to match these.
For very young children, this may translate to introducing them to the rhythm and routines of the School in a very deliberate, age-appropriate manner. The focus is often on building friendships with peers and strong professional relationships with teachers for older students.
Regardless of their age, each new student is carefully monitored during their first weeks at Melbourne Grammar School and any issues are immediately addressed.
From Prep to Year 12
At Grimwade House, the primary pastoral care role is provided by the classroom teacher. In Senior School, the House system provides a framework for the program. The model at Wadhurst is to create a bridge between the two with a House system being integral to pastoral care. This system works in combination with limits on the number of individual teachers each student has.
In all cases, teachers in frontline pastoral care positions have an explicit understanding of the importance of their role. They have expertise in dealing with the issues commonly arising for students under their care, and are experienced in making judgements about when further support may be needed.
Specialist support
We recognise that some students may require specialist attention at some point in their time at Melbourne Grammar School. We employ registered psychologists at each campus to assist boys with personal and educational challenges, while spiritual guidance is provided by our School Chaplains.
Our Health Centres are staffed by trained medical staff who are able to deal with day to day health issues and can provide an alternate place of respite for some students.