Wellbeing

At our school, student wellbeing and learning go hand in hand. We want every student to feel safe, included and ready to learn. Whether your child needs help with their mental, emotional, social or physical wellbeing, we are here to help them thrive at school and in daily life.

Supporting our students

At Narrabeen Sports High School we aim to provide a safe, happy and stimulating educational environment in which students can achieve their personal best and where all members of the school community feel valued and supported.

The following staff support our students:

Year Advisers

Year Advisers are responsible for wellbeing and its impact on the learning of the students in their year group. They work closely with the school wellbeing team and classroom teachers. They are usually the first point of contact for parents in relation to any issues or problems about a student. Year Advisers are dedicated and an integral part of the school community. They work closely with staff and parents to provide the earliest possible intervention that prevents problems for their students.

Student Support Officer (SSO)

SSOs work within the school community to enhance student wellbeing and learning outcomes in partnership with the wellbeing team and the school counselling service. Student Support Officers provide individual and targeted wellbeing support and whole of school wellbeing initiatives and programs that are evidence-based. They have a pivotal role in working collaboratively with external agencies and creating referral pathways for students and families to child and family support agencies. Students can be referred to our SSOs by their Year Adviser or Deputy Principal.

School Counsellors and Psychologists

Our School Counselling Service includes School Counsellors and School Psychologists with postgraduate qualifications in psychology. They support students’ social, emotional and learning needs and may provide confidential counselling to students individually or in small groups. They may conduct learning, behavioural, social or emotional assessments to better understand a student’s needs and provide recommendations to support learning and wellbeing. The service also assists schools to support students with disability or additional needs, and can help connect families with appropriate community or health services when further support is required.

Wellbeing Nurse

Our Wellbeing Nurse is an experienced professional from NSW Health who works with our school to support students and their families. Wellbeing nurses help students and their families to: identify their health and wellbeing needs, connect to appropriate health services, and understand information about their health care and how they can use the information to make decisions and act on it.

Learning Support Team

Our Learning and Support Teachers work in close partnership with classroom teachers, providing direct, targeted, and timely specialist support to students within mainstream classrooms who have additional learning and support needs. They may provide small group or individual support, develop personalised learning adjustments, and help embed differentiated practices that support students with a range of needs, including literacy and numeracy difficulties, disabilities, and other learning challenges.

Careers Adviser

Our Careers Adviser provides information, guidance and advice to help students explore their education and career options and pathways. This includes helping them create a resume, search for jobs, apply for jobs and/or apply for further study. Our Careers Adviser liaises with parents, teachers, employers, community agencies, tertiary institutions including TAFE NSW, and specific training providers to support students with their future pathways.

First Nations Adviser

Our First Nations Adviser assists students in all aspects of their academic journey, as well as providing social, cultural and personal support. They organise programs to celebrate the cultural diversity of our First Nations students, providing opportunities for them to connect with Country, the local community, and with each other.

Girls and Boys Advisers

Our Boys and Girls Advisers provide targeted wellbeing support, addressing gender-specific challenges and fostering student resilience, confidence, and personal growth. They work alongside the Head Teacher Wellbeing and Year Advisers to implement programs, offer guidance, and create a positive, inclusive school environment where all students feel supported.

How we support student wellbeing

Supporting each student’s mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing is part of everyday school life.

We do this through:

• teachers who help students feel welcome and included
• access to school counsellors, school psychologists and specialist staff
• programs that support health, social skills, attendance and positive behaviour
• help for students who are new or changing year levels
• clear expectations for behaviour and respectful relationships
• staff who get to know each child and work closely with families
• developing health care plans for students
• open communication about wellbeing and support.

Some of the programs we deliver at our school to support students include:

In-House Groups

All students belong to a House group, with students from Years 7-9 in mixed groups while Years 10, 11 and 12 have separate groups sorted by House. Each week our House groups meet with their regular House teacher for a 20 minute lesson that celebrates key annual events and school culture, develops students’ goal setting and study skills, or emphasises student wellbeing.

Senior Student Mentoring Program

Year 12 students are encouraged to connect with a teacher they know and trust to support them through their final year of school. Mentor teachers are able to provide guidance around managing time, creating study timetables and navigating the unique stresses that the HSC brings.

Homework Club

Students are provided with a safe and encouraging space to complete schoolwork on Mondays and Thursdays from 3-4pm in our school Library. Teachers and senior students are available to provide support and guidance in completing homework and assessments in a low pressure environment.

First Nations Student Mentoring

Students who identify as having First Nations heritage are mentored by our First Nations Adviser, and other staff, to reach their cultural and academic goals. They work as individuals and a group to explore culture and access opportunities tailored to their specific needs. Our school works to ensure our First Nations students are supported, and we are working in partnership with families.

Student Representative Council (SRC)

Members of the SRC work across year groups to facilitate a range of activities and initiatives. They lead whole school events throughout the year that celebrate the diversity of students, recognise significant dates and raise funds for local charities. Our SRC members and Senior Student Leaders also work to recognise the positive work going on in our school community.

HSC BandAID

Senior students are provided with space before school to work alongside their peers and teachers. There are resources (and often snacks) provided to help students achieve their personal best and learn strategies to best prepare for the HSC.

Raise Mentoring

Raise is Australia’s leading one-to-one youth mentoring charity, connecting trained and trusted volunteer mentors with young people aged 13-16. They enable vital connection between young people and their mentor during this critical time, leading to long-term benefits for not only the young person, but their mentor, their school, workplaces and the wider community.

GLOW and Man Cave

Our lunch-time girls’ and boys’ clubs are run once a week to provide a relaxed setting to connect with other students. They offer fun activities and a space to recharge. At these clubs, students are able to build strong friendships, learn practical tools for managing stress and talk openly about mental health and wellbeing.

Our Wellbeing Team works throughout the year to include meaningful wellbeing experiences that are tailored to the needs of each group. We spend time curating a thoughtful progression of programs and interventions to ensure every student is appropriately supported.

Visit Our principal and staff to learn about our wellbeing and specialist support staff.

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