Our students and their wellbeing lie at the very heart of our pastoral care philosophy; the decisions we make and the staffing structures we have in place, are designed with them at the centre. TAS is a school where connections between students, staff, parents and the broader TAS community are nurtured and where pastoral care is genuine.
Our size provides a distinct pastoral care advantage and the insulating network we have created ensures students have access to the care and support they need whether in the classroom, boarding house or during co-curricular activities. There is always someone who knows them and is looking out for them.
- Mr AJ Whalley, Director of Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care in Junior School
Specialised Middle School Pastoral Care
Senior School Pastoral Care
While TAS Junior School is continually growing, it is a small and intimate building in the heart of the school with teachers who are kind and caring and know every student in the school. The individual attention and nurturing they give both in the classroom and outside, creates a safe space for our students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 5 and a pastoral care network that is connected to all.
Between Years 6 to 8, boys and girls really begin to question the world and their place in it and they need to be given the opportunity to do just that in a safe and secure environment. In Middle School, there is a focus on communication, explanation and exploring situations - trying to make sense of what happens and why. This occurs through Advisor time which is four 20 minute sessions a week as well as in Town Meetings where all Middle School students meet and discuss issues of concern. Middle School Advisors are selected because they are amazing listeners and are sensitive to students’ individual needs and interests. Pastoral care is authentic and supported by the school’s Wellbeing Team.
The pastoral care structures in the Senior School make up a close network with Year Level Coordinators providing guidance across each year group while Advisors meet in smaller vertical groups 5 times a week. In Year 9 Advisors are allocated to students because they are new to the Senior School, but over the course of that year, as students meet senior teachers they are able to choose whichever Advisor they would like to be their advocate from Years 10 to 12. Combined with the deep insight boarding Heads of House have about their boarders, the knowledge academic staff have about their students and the alertness of the Wellbeing Team, our students have a solid reliable structure of support around them.
The Wellbeing Team
Our student Wellbeing Team has overall responsibility for the student wellbeing structures at the school and is made up of our Director of Pastoral Care, Heads of Junior and Middle Schools, our Counsellor and Heads of House as well as our Chaplain and School Nurse. We recognise that at some point on their school journey, students may require additional care and attention. This Team provides that support.
Our close Pastoral Care network
Central to the structures we have in place to ensure all students have someone that they trust to turn to, are Advisors, Year Level Coordinators and Heads of House. When combined with academic staff, co-curricular, residential and sporting staff, our students and their families are well known and cared for.