Our philosophy holds the development of children at the centre of all we do. This is a reflection of our mission ‘Developing free human beings who are able, of themselves, to impart purpose and direction to their lives.’
– Rudolf Steiner
With this guiding principle, student wellbeing is integral to every interaction we have and is supplemented and enhanced by other programmes, processes and services.
The pastoral system in the school is focused on the relationship between the class teacher (Primary School) or kaitiaki (High School) and their students. The class teacher/kaitiaki usually stays with the same class throughout Primary School. This allows for a deepening of relationships and trust, and significantly reduces the stress that transitions bring for students. At major transition times, for example from Kindergarten to Class 1 and Primary to High School, we have a programme of induction, parent information and peer support to give students and parents multiple opportunities to understand and prepare for the next stage in their journey.
In addition, our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), counsellors, first aid officer, Horizon Co-ordinator, Curative Eurythmist and deputy principals form the Care Group. This group meets weekly to talk about student needs and ensures that communication, updates and actions are coherent in supporting students and staff.
We are also a Class 1–12 Peer Mediator school and work with the Peace Foundation to equip all students with the skills to work together and resolve many lower-level issues, independently.
