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Whole Student Approach
The MindMatters Whole Student Approach acknowledges the individual needs of students and the influences on their life. The approach fosters connections between the student, their learning and the school.
A school that is committed to a Whole Student Approach understands the potential protective role it can play during adolescence and how this can be sustained by a positive school ethos. The school consciously draws together the aspects it can influence in areas such as learning, relationships, participation and expectations to optimise students' mental health and wellbeing.
Having a coordinated social and emotional skills curriculum (including spiritual understandings, if appropriate) enables a Whole Student Approach. This approach needs to operate in the context of community, family and individual students' values, beliefs and attitudes.
Through a range of strategies, the Whole Student Approach (in tandem with the Whole School Approach) to mental health and wellbeing constitutes a protective Continuum of Connection. Some ideas to assist schools to implement the Whole Student Approach are provided as pop-ups on the diagram below. The Focus Module: Whole Student Approach of the professional development program develops more strategies and resources.
Community beliefs and attitudes
- Develop an awareness of the diverse range of community attitudes and beliefs by using MindMatters surveys
- Involve community role models in specific courses
- Negotiate protocols for family and parent involvement
- Advertise community health services within the school
Caring relationships and connections
- Provide structures for staff and students to get to know each other
- Negotiate a positive school relationship code, with a range of community members, staff and students
- Provide one teacher/staff member as an advocate for each student
- Offer confidential counselling processes and locations
- Provide for community member mentoring schemes
- Embed relationships skills in the curriculum
- Give specific praise to students for genuine effort
High but achievable expectations
- Value individual student aptitudes and strengths in and outside the curriculum, and include in reporting
- Arrange a teacher roundtable on literacy and numeracy levels catering for the diverse range of students
- Survey the range of classroom methodologies in practice and respond with staff professional development
- Provide flexible structures and choices for students with mental health difficulties
- Discuss with staff how to respond to the personal circumstances of students
- Teach and model goal setting to students at the start of the year
Authentic participation and contribution
- Survey the level of safety in the school environment
- Use student leadership in decision making in policy and procedures
- Teach and practice skills for cooperative learning across the curriculum
- Provide for a sense of personal choice and responsibility with learning
- Assess the level of inclusivity in school structures
- Use a customer service survey for student clients using local mental health services and pathways
- Encourage pro-social activities with peers and community, including volunteering
Student beliefs and attitudes
- Support students to become aware of their beliefs and attitudes with social and emotional learning
- Create an understanding about the link between beliefs and culture
- Acknowledge the diverse beliefs of others in school celebrations
- Use staff PD to discuss the impact of our beliefs on others
- Discuss how to promote a positive sense of self for all students
- Workshop the link between beliefs and behavior