Health
Case Study: Fitting in at High School
Starting high school can be really scary. All of a sudden, you're the youngest in the school. You have to learn your way around and follow a timetable, going from room to room, teacher to teacher and class to class. If you found the first couple of years at high school a bit overwhelming, you aren't the only one. Lots of kids have trouble at this stage. They feel as if they aren't being listened to, and with the numbers of teachers and classes, they can feel really alone.
Most schools have some sort of transition program. One Victorian secondary school is typical as it started to do something to help make the move from primary to secondary easier for students.
The school decided to do something to help young people get through this "transition". Secondary schools generally take in students from primary schools living in the local area. Therefore, it is important to help students find their feet when they arrive. New students are more likely to feel a bit lost and alone when they begin.
In order to avoid depression and other mental health problems, students enter a transition program in Year 5 at primary school. Students are given tours of the school and invited to ask questions during orientation. During Years 7 and 8, they are assigned a buddy and allocated peer support groups. Year 7 and 8 students are sent on camp to help students make friends early in the year. Students at the school reported feeling a lot more secure, and as though they are listened to and cared for.
This is an example of a policy in action. The policy has been developed to improve the wellbeing of students at a point in their life when they may feel scared and alone. This can affect how they approach learning and school in general.
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