Clonard College launches Wellbeing 2020+

Clonard College Geelong is taking bold steps to emphasise its focus on wellbeing with the development of its innovative Wellbeing 2020+ programme following a successful pilot in 2019.

The new programme will support the colleges’ aim to develop well-rounded, confident young women who can live their best lives and improve their learning outcomes.

In addition to an explicit curriculum within the Wellbeing 2020+ programme, the college has taken the brave step of changing its school timetable to ensure longer breaks in between classes. This will ensure students have a chance to move around, get outside, eat, and have a mental break prior to their next subject.

Assistant Principal (Wellbeing), Kylie Power, said that the college has committed to longer and more frequent breaks between classes in 2020 to benefit both students and teachers.

“We surveyed our staff and students in 2018 – the data clearly indicated that students were feeling overwhelmed with 6 x 50 minute lessons a day as did the teachers.

“We now lock classrooms after each class and have planned for 5 x 60 minute lessons for 2020.  Breaks will apply after each lesson – getting rid of the old notion of recess and lunch. Students are encouraged to go to the toilet, get a drink or go for a walk in between classes, and brain breaks have been adopted into all classrooms,” Ms Power said.

Inspiration for the timetable restructure was bolstered when the entire teaching staff undertook training in wellbeing and pedagogy with the Institute of Positive Education.

“The science around movement and learning was a particular focus that reinformed our brave move to restructure the timetable, the POL structure and the students’ curriculum.”

From 2020, homeroom teachers will be referred to as wellbeing teachers and will deliver more than 4.5 hours of wellbeing classes each fortnight to their students. This will ensure this serves as pastoral rather than purely administrative time. The classes will focus on topics such as social and emotional learning, positive education and physical movement. Each class has 3 x 1 hour sessions and 4 x 25 minute sessions each two-week cycle.

Ms Power confirmed that all students in Year 7-12 at Clonard College are going to be involved in the programme and said the college prides itself on offering opportunities for its community to learn the key concepts of living well.

“The programme has a developmentally appropriate scope and sequence which used many of the ideas and lessons from the Institute’s PEEC. Hands on, engaging activities have been designed to improve relationships between class members and their wellbeing teacher. All year levels will be participating – the focus at Year 11 and 12 is very much around stress and coping strategies, time management and independent learning.”

Clonard College staff have participated in a number of training courses with the Institute of Positive Education and the college has committed to ongoing training for its leadership team in 2020.

To learn more about the Wellbeing 2020+ programme at Clonard College Geelong please Click Here or email: wellbeing2020@clonard.vic.edu.au