Brimbank College

Story recorded in 2001

When Brimbank College, formerly known as Jamieson Park Secondary College, joined the Gatehouse Project, the importance of adolescent health was already well recognised within the school. An adolescent health team had recently been established within the management structure of the school, charged with the role of promoting the health and well-being of students and overseeing any new initiatives related to adolescent health. The Gatehouse Project provided data and strategies to support further development of this focus.

Background

Brimbank College is a co-educational government school with a population of 600 students. It services the residential area of St. Albans and environs in the western suburbs of Melbourne. The college is made up of students from diverse cultural and social backgrounds. Since its inception in 1962, the college has aimed to provide the widest possible personal, academic and practical experience for students. The college values each student and successfully provides curriculum and other services to meet their needs.

Students are provided with the opportunity to achieve in a caring, trusting and supportive learning environment. There is a strong expectation that students take themselves seriously and work hard to build on the firm foundation provided by the college. The college continues to recognise the importance of serving the needs of students through a sound curriculum, caring support, firm discipline and the capacity of students to participate in decisions that affect their future.

How was a team established?

The Adolescent Health Team, established in 1996, was the obvious group to oversee the College's involvement in the Gatehouse Project. As this group included representation from Key Learning Areas, student support staff and the College leadership team, it was well placed to consider whole school issues relating to the promotion of emotional well-being. The consideration of data and intervention strategies by this team ensured a broad range of perspectives from within the school and provided a team to work on developing strategies to promote security, communication and positive regard.

How did the school use the data from the survey and school audit processes to inform planning and determine priorities?

Data was used by the Adolescent Health Team to inform reflections and planning about priorities and practice. It was also used by the leadership team in this way and directly supported the development of specific charter priorities promoting adolescent health. In 1997, the school was developing a new charter for 1998-2000. A specific charter goal was to "further develop a college climate where emphasis is placed on care, trust and support" and materials and data from the Gatehouse Project were cited as resources to support the addressing of this goal.

What strategies were used to address identified priorities?

In 1997, the curriculum materials and accompanying professional development provided support to develop a stronger focus on mental health and manage difficult emotions within the health curriculum from Years 7-10. Activities from the Gatehouse Project materials were integrated into the existing health curriculum at Year 8.

Several professional development sessions were held with the whole staff and with English staff, focussing on the general framework, data, principles and strategies. These sessions supported the further development of the Charter goals and emphasised a whole college approach to adolescent health and wellbeing.

A new college logo, vision and mission statement accompanied the new college name in 1998. The College charter 1998-2000 describes the logo as representing the following:

The circle coloured in warm yellow represents the caring, family environment in which the college teaches and nurtures its students. The global appearance reflects the cultural diversity of our college community. The four curved bands in the foreground symbolise the emphasis placed by the college on the concepts of achievement, care, trust and support. The upward curve of the bands reflects the College's mission of enhancing the potential of its students to achieve a positive future.

A school song was later developed to celebrate these values and principles, launched publicly and recorded by a student on CD.

In 1998 and 2000, The Adolescent Health Team also focussed on the importance of fostering staff health and emotional well-being. Staff welfare days were held, using guest presenters and providing activities to enhance staff welfare.

The Adolescent Health Team oversaw the development of an anti-bullying policy in 1998 and 1999. The final policy located prevention of and responses to bullying within the mission statement and general student management processes of the college. It promoted the idea of the potential of individuals to contribute to a positive school environment and demonstrated how bullying and harassment detracted from this. The policy was presented in a simple, accessible pamphlet that was publicly launched and distributed to all families. The pamphlet has been actively used by co-ordinators in discussions with students about behavioural issues.

The importance of involving students in decision-making processes has been recognised and formal structures have been developed within the school to facilitate this. These have included the establishment of a student participation team within the College management structure, an active SRC and larger forums to discuss important issues and involvement of students on College Council.

Extra-curricular activities for all students and special programs for students at particular risk of disengagement from school have been a feature of the College's emphasis on promoting engagement and connectedness. In 2000, the College was involved in a performing arts festival to promote mental health in the Western Metropolitan Region. This was auspiced by the Royal Children's Hospital Mental Health Service. Brimbank's participation in this reflected the whole school approach to health promotion and drew on the problem-solving approach developed to issues of peer pressure and bullying.

Also in 2000, the college produced a video to present to all Year 12 students. It represented the valuing of these students by the college community and featured the school song and other music, humour and celebration of teachers and students having fun at various events.

What role have teachers, parents and students had in developing and implementing these strategies?

Teachers

Teachers have been involved through The Adolescent Health Team and its initiatives in addressing priorities for adolescent health and well-being. Lesley Salter, representing this team, has presented information about this at a number of educational forums

Parents

Parent support has been encouraged through parent evenings on a range of topics, conducted by The Adolescent Health Team and through the public launch of initiatives such as the school song, logo and anti-bullying policy.

Students

Students have increasingly been involved in decision-making and other activities as described above. Students have also been involved in community programs such as the Reach Youth program, linking to community support for students and by students.

Student support services

Student support services staff, both from within the school and from DEET and the broader community, have been key members of The Adolescent Health Team and have contributed to the development of strategies and programs.

What strategies implemented by this college might be useful for other school communities?

• explicit recognition of the importance of adolescent health issues in the College mission statement, charter and organisational structure
• a broad-based adolescent health team as part of the formal management structure of the college and as a means of resourcing teachers across the school
• the linking of curriculum with welfare
• an explicit focus on mental and emotional health within curriculum, particularly health curriculum
• the creation of formal and informal opportunities for students to contribute to decision making
• development of an anti-bullying strategy that focuses on positive outcomes that is actively used
• setting professional development time aside to focus on staff well-being
• development of programs to support young people at risk of leaving school early.

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