WELLBEING PROGRAM OVERVIEW
A strong pastoral care program plays an essential role in guiding and developing well-rounded adolescents who are equipped to navigate the social, emotional and academic challenges of the middle years.
At Reddam House Sydney, our Middle School Pastoral Care Program supports students as whole learners. It focuses on wellbeing, relationships and digital responsibility, while also building practical skills that support effective study habits and engagement with best-practice, research-driven learning strategies.
The program combines sessions delivered by specialist external providers with ongoing teacher-led pastoral learning. External organisations are selected for their evidence-based expertise and age-appropriate approach, while teacher-guided sessions run throughout the year to provide continuity and responsive support.
Through our partnership with Wellio, staff deliver targeted wellbeing lessons and small-group sessions that are adjusted each term in response to emerging needs, behavioural patterns and the changing social context of each cohort.
WHAT PARENTS CAN EXPECT
TERM 1
Year 7 Orientation
Date: Wed 28 to Friday 30 January 2026
Provider: Reddam House Middle School
Supporting students to settle into routines, expectations and middle school life. Students will begin their middle school journey with structured whole cohort and smaller tutor group sessions where they will be introduced to the school routines and policies. Supported by the Year 9 students, Year 7's will be given their lockers, taught how to use their locks, issued with diaries and phone pouches, and orientated to their digital student portal. Overviews of sport and academies will be given, and an opportunity to get to know their timetables and new teachers.
Like Me – The Impacts of Social Media on Mental Health
Date: Friday 13 February 2026
Provider: Rachel Clark (The Like Me Project)
The Like Me Project was created to empower young people with social media literacy education and tools to boost their digital wellbeing.
This workshop is a dedicated student talk + Q& A session that explores the business model of social media apps and the attention economy, and the underlying psychological processes and impacts of these apps on the students’ brains and wellbeing. During this interactive session, students will be equipped with strategies to help them cultivate a healthy, conscious relationship with social media.
TERM 2
Stress Management and Challenging Perfectionism
Date: Friday 1 May 2026
Provider: Kelly Morrison
The Year 7 students will be engaging in a workshop around Stress Management and Challenging Perfectionism presented by Kelly Morrison. This workshop will look at unhelpful thinking styles, embracing mistakes and failure, stress management and grounding strategies.
Parent–Student Study Skills Evening
Date: Wednesday 6 May 2026
Provider: Dr Prue Salter (ELES)
Reddam House will host a Study Skills presentation by Dr Prue Salter for Middle School students and their parents/caregivers. Parent/Guardian(s) and students should attend together as the session is very interactive, therefore families will expeirence the full value of the experience by attending together.
This is an interactive evening for families that outlines tools and techniques for students to achieve their personal academic best. The presenter for the evening, Dr Prue Salter, is the founder of ELES (www.enhanced-learning.net) and an expert in the area of study skills. The evenings she runs for Year 7 families are in high demand and this is an opportunity not to be missed. Dr Salter has conducted over 7000 study skills seminars across Australia and Asia, has written 40 study skills resource kits for schools and is the creator of the online and interactive study skills website (www.studyskillshandbook.com.au) used by more than 200,000 students.
Dr Salter’s PhD explored whole-school integrated approaches to developing students’ self-regulated learning skills.
TERM 3
Choices and Changes
Date: Friday 24 July 2026
Provider: Elephant Education
The students will participate in Choices and Changes workshops, with key learning outcomes outlined below for your reference.
Choices and Changes:
Reinforcing everyone’s development and experiences in relationships are unique
Overview of myths and social pressures that can exist within relationships
Navigating adolescence respectfully, reinforcing the importance of consent
Appropriately and respectfully acting on feelings (including expressing feelings and accepting rejection respectfully)
TERM 4
Respectful Relationships and eSafety
Date: Friday 9 October 2026
Provider: Jonny Shannon
This presentation outlines vital strategies for building healthy and respectful relationships among students, emphasizing the importance of how to make friends, understanding boundaries, effective communication, conflict resolution, respect, inclusivity, digital etiquette & online reputation as well as bullying & how to seek support. By the end of this presentation students will be more aware of the importance of respectful relationships and would have been given practical examples and strategies on how to make & keep healthy friendships.
Additional sessions programmed for 2026 (Dates TBC)
AI Workshop
Provider: Elevate Education
Introduction to ethical and effective use of AI in learning.
Digital Safety & Wellbeing
Provider: ySafe
Online safety, digital decision-making and support pathways.
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM
OVERVIEW
Community service is an important part of the Year 7 experience at Reddam House. Through our partnership with Kids in Philanthropy (KiP), students engage in a structured, interactive service-learning program designed to introduce them to philanthropy and the role of charities in supporting communities.
Across the year, students meet and volunteer for three charities, culminating in a final session where they bring financial donations and participate in a guided decision-making process to allocate funds across the charities. This program is run on site at one of the partner charities and provides meaningful, hands-on experiences.
The program fosters empathy, collaboration and critical thinking, empowering students to see themselves as capable changemakers within their community.
WHAT PARENTS CAN EXPECT
A structured introduction to philanthropy and the role of charities in Australia
Hands-on volunteering activities that build teamwork and collaboration
Opportunities for students to engage directly with charities and understand their impact
Development of decision-making skills through guided resource allocation discussions
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Term 1 - Introduction to Philanthropy
Students explore the meaning of philanthropy, examine a case study charity and the social issues it addresses, and participate in hands-on volunteering activities.
Term 2 - Kindness and Compassion
Students engage with a second charity, deepen their understanding of social causes and continue hands-on volunteering activities.
Term 3 - Introduction to Fundraising
Students examine a third charity and are introduced to the principles of fundraising and collective giving, participating in further volunteering activities.
Term 4 - Pitch for Change & Charity Visit
Students participate in a charity visit and final session where they bring financial donations and vote on how funds are distributed across the partner charities.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
Examples of Volunteering Activities
Activity Packs and Hampers of Hope for young people and families in need
Bags of Care and Stationery Kits for disadvantaged students
Breakfast on the Go Bags and Trail Mix for those experiencing food insecurity
Cards and Letters of Hope to bring encouragement and connection
Scarves of Support and other practical items to assist people facing hardship
Philanthropy Pledge to reinforce everyday acts of kindness and generosity
Program Outcomes
A deeper understanding of complex social issues within an Australian context
A strong sense of community connection and empathy
Improved teamwork, communication and collaboration skills
Increased resilience and confidence
An awareness of how they can contribute positively to their community
PROGRAM COSTS
Pastoral and Community Service program costs reflect the charges relating directly to the external providers & charity organisations, resources or any related travel expenses for students. Reddam contributes part of this cost each year to ensure students are provided with the most effective and age-appropriate experiences, and charges semesterised fees to assist families in planning for these costs ahead of time. Reddam reserves the right to make changes to these programs during the year in response to the changing needs of the students or circumstances beyond our control.
The 2026 Wellbeing program will cost $90 per student and this will be billed to your school account in 2 instalments - $45.00 per semester.
The 2026 Community Service Program will cost $127 per student and this will be billed to your school account in 2 instalments - $63.50 per semester.
Reddam House Sydney acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners and Knowledge Holders of the land on which we meet; The Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. It is upon their ancestral lands that Reddam resides. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.
"WE SHALL GIVE BACK”
