Student wellbeing is critical to ensuring positive growth and maturity for our young men and women so they can flourish. Northholm applies pastoral care programs and philosophy on a daily basis both within the classroom, in addition to providing access to ongoing support and running specialist programs throughout the year, to ensure your child feels safe, welcome and nurtured throughout their learning journey.
In Kindergarten to Year 6, the class teacher is responsible for the wellbeing of their students and the direct contact for families. Specialist staff work directly with the class teacher for learning enrichment, support or the specific needs of each student.
In Year 7 the Core Teachers also act as tutors to each student, playing a critical role in identifying and nurturing the interests, talents and needs of each student. The tutor communicates student progress or concerns directly with parents. Year 7 students are also allocated a House Tutorial Group which forms the basis of their pastoral care in Years 8 to 9. From Year 8 to Year 9, students remain in the same Tutorial Group with their tutor.
Years 10 to 12 sees students move into Senior Tutorial groups, with guidance from a coach. This group provides stability and consistency through the final schooling years.
All students belong to one of our four houses – Capell, Lincoln, Patteson or Rowland. Within the houses, students of all years are brought together in a range of activities. House activities facilitate the building of friendships, understanding of different values and challenges, and mentoring opportunities across the year levels. House activities happen weekly at Northholm, enabling students of different age groups to mix and collaborate whilst developing team spirit.
Counselling
To support the health and wellbeing of all students, a specialist counsellor is available to assist students and their families in matters relating to their personal, academic and social wellbeing. The counsellor has an established network of support organisations and is able to provide advice on external service providers.
Character Education
Tutor Groups are an opportunity to develop character strengths such as grit, perseverance, humility, gratitude and integrity. The learning experience of the program ensures all students are included in tutor discussions and activities. Important wellbeing issues such as digital citizenship, peer pressure, bullying, as well as academic priorities such as goal setting, study skills and personalised targets for students to achieve are addressed during these sessions.
As a school in the Anglican tradition, Northholm has always espoused the belief that the Christian faith is central to an understanding of human existence. We seek to bring our students to an understanding of that faith, and the personal integrity it implies, through what we do in our teaching and learning, in our discipline and pastoral care, in our co-curricular program and in our dealings with the wider community. A chapel program enables students to explore the links between Christian values and contemporary life, while the Crusaders program brings students together through weekly meetings and camps to share their experiences and beliefs.
Our service learning program is also designed in part to enable spiritual growth through participation in fundraising and outreach programs.
Anti-Bullying practice
The School does not tolerate bullying of any form and is proactive in its efforts to maintain a culture where students feel safe. This includes the regular delivery of programs and workshops to inform students of their rights and responsibilities in respect of both themselves and others.
Cybersafety
The School has very clear practices in regard to internet safety. These include the regular revision of policies to provide currency of practice, appropriate security measures for the school’s IT infrastructure and regular briefings on cybersafety for staff, students and parents.
The School is a registered eSmart school.
