Case study: Reynella East College Wellbeing Framework

PESA Institutional Member, Reynella East College (REC) in South Australia is a K-12 school with over 1900 students, 200 staff and 3 campuses. They have adopted a local approach for building a wellbeing and trauma responsive school community and delivering sustainable wellbeing and whole of life outcomes for all of their community.

Author/ source: PESA

Last updated: 04/09/2024

Case study: Reynella East College Wellbeing Framework

Aim of the Framework – Why?

The framework was created to intentionally embed evidence-based wellbeing and trauma-informed practices enabling a sustainable system and methods, rather than the quality of wellbeing support and services being dependant on key leaders or people or on area of the curriculum.

Who?

The framework is applicable to all community members of the Reynella East College, including students and their families, educators, leaders, carers and others connected to the Reynella East College Community.

The community is diverse with heterogenous needs some of which include:

  • REC is an aspirational school with high expectations

  • Significant cohort of lower socioeconomic families which for some students, impacts their learning and achievement

  • Some students require a high level of support due to anxiety, depression and general mental health concerns

  • Large cohort of neurodivergent students and those with diverse learning needs

The Context – What?

It is a ‘grass-roots’ model of wellbeing as it is based on the specific context of the community i.e. drawing upon the strengths, wisdom and needs of the community i.e. students, families and staff. This includes consideration of:

  • the College’s philosophy and values

  • changing and diverse needs of the College community

  • broader community and social context

  • the science of wellbeing and trauma responsive communities

  • the science of intentional practice

Underpinning Methodologies – How?

1. Building a Wellbeing and Trauma Informed community using best practice. Refer to Life Buoyancy Institute (LBI) Foundation for more information.

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2. Intentional practice i.e. a unifying and common language, approach and set of methods that can support the design, adaptation and implementation of ‘system’ to ‘moment’ wellbeing solutions embedded within the school context.

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Intentional practice enables a common and integrated lens to guide and empower educators to deliver support, care and teaching to students and their families. It focuses on the “How” i.e. core components and activating processes and the “What” i.e. what is the growth intent in the short, medium and long term.

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Select the button to download a PDF version of Reynella East's Intentional Practice Wellbeing Framework which includes  further detail about how each of the seven core components are to be actioned at a local level.