Next practice for pastoral care and student wellbeing in schools

Transcription

1 Next practice for pastoral care and student wellbeing in schools

2 A caring teacher Independent schools point of difference?

3 Pastoral care and learning? Pastoral care is the oil of learning Pastoral care is not the destination but the nourishment for the learning journey (Mann 2006)

4 Presentation overview Links between pastoral care and academic outcomes Major trends in pastoral care (eg: Bully movie) What s needed for success? Less is more Next practice considerations

5 Links between pastoral care and academic outcomes? Emotions can facilitate or impede children s: Academic engagement Work ethic Commitment Ultimately their school success Relationships and emotional processes affect how and why we learn (Elias et al 1997)

6 Growing evidence Effective mastery of social and emotional competencies is associated with greater wellbeing and better school performance (Eisenberg, 2006;Guerra and Bradshaw, 2008) Child development study found improvements in the psychosocial environment of the school mediated almost all of the positive student outcomes (Solomon et al, 2000)

7 Student wellbeing trends What are the major trends in pastoral care in your school? How are these changing and within which groups?

8 In a Year 10 class of 30 students How many tried smoking? used alcohol in last month? were sunburned in past six months? are not sufficiently physically active? binge drink weekly?

9 In a Year 10 class of 30 students tried smoking 20 used alcohol in last month 19 sunburned in past six months 18 not sufficiently physically active 15 binge drink weekly 9

10 In a Year 10 class of 30 students How many unhealthy weight loss practices? obese/overweight? had sexual intercourse? mental health problems?

11 In a Year 10 class of 30 students unhealthy weight loss practices 8 first diet 10 yrs (mean) obese/overweight 7 had sexual intercourse 6 mental health problems 6

12 In a Year 10 class of 30 students How many have suicidal thoughts? cyberbully? use marijuana? regularly engages in self-harm?

13 In a Year 10 class of 30 students suicidal thoughts 5 cyberbully 4-5 use marijuana 4 regularly engages in self-harm 1

14 30% high school students engage in multiple high risk behaviours that interfere with school performance and jeopardise their potential for life success (Eaton et al, 2008; Dryfoos, 1997)

15 Issues of Personal Concern National Survey of Young Australians 2011, Mission Australia N=

16 What are year old BOYS worried about? (Mission Australia Survey, 2011 ( yo participants)

17 What are year old GIRLS worried about? (Mission Australia Survey, 2011 ( yo participants)

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21 Risk Pathways Suicidal behaviour Alcohol & drugs Depression Genetic factors Adverse parenting & exposure to violence Early neurological (brain) development School & learning difficulties Low selfesteem Self-regulation of emotion, attention & social interaction Peer problems Increasing psychosocial difficulties Poor problem solving skills Negative thinking patterns Acute stress significant loss Low SES, maternal infections, drug use & exposure to neurotoxins Diet & nutrition Time Silburn, 2002

22 Pastoral opportunities Suicidal behaviour SCHOOL INTERVENTIONS Alcohol & drugs Depression Boarding House Interventions Genetic factors Adverse parenting & exposure to violence Early neurological (brain) development School & learning difficulties Low selfesteem Self-regulation of emotion, attention & social interaction Peer problems Increasing psychosocial difficulties Poor problem solving skills Negative thinking patterns Acute stress significant loss Low SES, maternal infections, drug use & exposure to neurotoxins Diet & nutrition Time Silburn, 2002

23 Trends - help provision Technology help support Individual help seeking Peer help support Delaying conversations

24 Asking an adult for help 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Male Female Asked adult for help Got better Didn't get better (Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study, 2009)

25 Asking an adult for help 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Male Female Asked adult for help Got better Didn't get better (Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study, 2009)

26 Treat behavioural mistakes in the same way that we treat other learning errors Behavioural mistakes

27 What does this mean for PC? Variety reporting methods incl. online Pastoral care team location Consistent teacher responses Perception of control Change normative expectations Clear reporting procedures which are followed through and that students trust LATE model

28 Community trends Increasing community expectations PC delivery to special needs increasing PC due to technology Whole community response to PC More reactive PC spotty delivery Parents seeking PC

29 Australian policy review An audit of PC policies across Australia found while sectors recognised the value of PC policy, key weaknesses emerged: Complexity of the policy Work overload implementing the policy Insufficient PL for teachers and parents Lack of clarity operationalising policy Limited mapping against PC outcomes Inconsistent delivery across year levels Overload of programs Pastoral care staff exhaustion

30 True to school values What are your schools values? Where are these evident/communicated? In everything we say and do we

31 Care as a driver for school effectiveness An ethos of care embedded in explicit whole school community values

32 Mission Statement Avenues Mission: We will graduate students who are accomplished in the academic skills one would expect; at ease beyond their borders; truly fluent in a second language; good writers and speakers one and all; confident because they excel in a particular passion; artists no matter what their field; practical in the ways of the world; emotionally unafraid and physically fit; humble about their gifts and generous of spirit; trustworthy; aware that their behaviour makes a difference in our ecosystem; great leaders when they can be, good followers when they should be; on their way to well-chosen higher education; and, most importantly, architects of lives that transcend the ordinary.

33 Definition of pastoral care? How has your school defined pastoral care? Where and to whom is this communicated?

34 If poorly defined pastoral care can be anything and everything. Defining pastoral care

35 How well is the PC definition communicated? Trunk rope Tail snake Leg tree trunk Body wall Ear fan Tusk - spear

36 Behavioural expectations You can t pull up your socks if you don t know what your socks are From The Football Wisdom of Guru Bob 1998

37 Defining pastoral care Traditional definitions Fostering children s moral development Values of mutual respect through extra-curricular activities Today, wellbeing is increasing attributed to: School conditions School relationships Means of fulfilment Health status

38 Reflection What are the most effective pastoral care practices in your school?

39 A review process

40 A Starting Point: Map the Gap Tool Six core strategy components: 1. Building capacity for action committed leadership and organisational support 2. Proactive policies, plans and practices 3. Supportive school climate 4. Curriculum teaching and learning 5. Protective physical environment 6. School-family-community partnerships 7.More for less?

41 Whole of school approach Department of Education Pathways to Health and Well-Being (2001)

42 Delivery balance for health and Whole school environment promoting competence, health and wellbeing wellbeing Prevention Intervention Students with high support needs 20-30% Students needing additional intervention 3-12% Treatment

43 Pastoral care school-level tasks Map pastoral care against five main school-level tasks x year level: 1.Proactive, preventative pastoral care: Activities and educational processes that anticipate critical incidents in children s lives and aim to prevent and reduce the need for reactive casework. 2.Developmental pastoral curricula: Curricula developed to promote personal, social, moral, spiritual and cultural development and wellbeing through distinctive programmes, tutorial work and extracurricular activities.

44 Pastoral Care 3. The promotion and maintenance of an orderly and supportive / collaborative environment: building a community within the school, creating supportive systems and positive relations between all members of the community, and promoting a strong ethos of mutual care and concern. 4. Reactive pastoral casework: Open door guidance and counselling, peer support and mentoring, welfare network (link between school, home and external agencies such as social services). 5. The management and administration of pastoral care: the process of planning, resourcing, monitoring, evaluating, encouraging and facilitating all of the above.

45 What are the major outcomes for pastoral care in your school? How does your school s pastoral care contribute to these outcomes?

46 Pastoral care student outcomes Promote health and wellbeing Build resilience Enhance academic care Build human and social capital (relationships)

47 Case study review categories 1. School ethos and values 2. Communication to school community 3. Pastoral care organisational structures 4. Positions of responsibility 5. Formal teaching of pastoral care 6. Policies and procedures for pastoral care

48 Case study recommendations Communicate regularly to parents the depth and range of PC strategies implemented. Review the balance between reactive and proactive PC and staff consistency in the use of each. Communicate clear standards of PC to ensure consistency between staff. Monitor the PC standards of external providers of services to the school Lost Year 9s

49 Case study recommendations Create a triage process for students using student support services to deliver more targeted responses from sufficiently skilled staff. PL for staff to enhance PC skills and to understand their limitations as lay counsellors Private location of pastoral care services for students Encourage duty staff to see their lunchtime role as banking time not disciplinarian Increase clarity around pastoral care roles Enhance flow of communication to staff

50 Not more work...

51 Teacher behaviours and YES to learning Most Likely When my teacher: Smiles at me Says hello to me Talks to me Shows me he/she is proud of me Takes an interest in what I do Also When my teacher: Organises a fun activity Notices my effort Sets interesting work Encourages me to join in Helps me learn from my mistakes

52 When less is more Whole school community delivering PC Warp and weft delivery of pastoral care Consistent delivery across years Based on students needs Balance of active and reactive Sequential pastoral care delivery Matched to outcomes

53 Next practice? Peers as pastoral carers Online help provision and problems Social information processing Pastoral care of staff / parents Diffusion of responsibility? Peer supporter threshold Prepared for chaos

54 To enhance your school s pastoral care what does it need to: Start doing Stop doing Keep doing Do more of

55 They ll forget what we do They ll forget what we say But they ll never forget how we made them feel.

56 May you always have love to share; health to spare and friends that care. Donna Cross Edith Cowan University