Supporting the Boys in the Year Ahead

In my naivety, I don’t think that I truly understood the term ‘work-life balance’ until my daughter was born almost seven years ago, which at that point, was only a couple of years in my teaching career. Managing the stress of a new born child with the responsibility of educating a class of thirty, six-year old children could prove overwhelming at times, but over the years I learnt to adapt and find ways of maintaining that balance.

Children, particularly in late primary and throughout high school, are now beginning to experience levels of pressure and expectation that I myself did not encounter at school twenty years ago. Research indicates that a sense of vulnerability amongst adolescence typically starts at around 8-9 years of age, and often extends throughout the teens and into the early twenties. Year 6 is a significant year in the boys’ school life, as the culmination of their primary school experience comes to a close and they prepare for the transition to high school.

As a staff we want to address that pressure and continue to develop our approach to student well-being. A recent talk from Stan Comino, the Stanmore School Counsellor recommended that as a school we:

• Enhance student connectedness
• Create supportive environments
• Develop personal skills curriculums
• Enhance pastoral care
• Strengthen the sense of community.

The school also endeavors to support our students by working with families to:

• Develop life skills
• Teach boys to problem solve
• Recognise thoughts and feelings
• Aid with decision making by exploring consequences
• Nurture a sense of connectedness to the school community, peers and adults
• Make sure students have positive regard from adults and role models
• Develop a culture of structure and success.

This year, in Year 6, will be a journey for all of us and no doubt as the year progresses the boys will experience different pressures at different stages – be it on camp, during the Exhibition or as they begin their high school transition. One of the main requests from the initial parent teacher meetings at the start of the year was that we help boys manage their anxiety this year. We are here to help and support the boys throughout, and we are looking forward to the challenge of the year ahead!

Sam Watson – Year 6 Teacher