The health, safety and wellbeing of our students at St Bede’s College is paramount. Each student is entitled to the opportunity to participate, learn and achieve their best. To help develop each of them as confident and resilient individuals, we offer a diversity of care and support via our network of Teachers, our qualified team of Counsellors and Pastoral care.
Helping students achieve their personal best
Student safety and wellbeing is our most essential and intrinsic component at St Bede’s College.
As part of this whole-school commitment, we are pleased to bring a diversity of wellbeing programs, initiatives and professional counselling to all students. These aim to build and strengthen resilience and connection, develop a strong sense of self and support a positive outlook on life.
Student Wellbeing is integrated into our timetable, ensuring that every learner has access to helpful resources, take part in group discussions, attend counselling, or gain valuable insight from a special guest speaker.
All students have access to our fully-qualified Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Psychologists, who are based at on-campus at our College Wellbeing Centres. Students may self-report at any time, or be referred by their parents/guardians or House Coordinators.
In addition to Homeroom teachers, Tutors, Coordinators and Counsellors, students may also take any concerns to staff outside of their direct pastoral group. Each Campus has allocated Coordinators for Student Management and Wellbeing. At our Mentone Campus, a Coordinator is allocated to our Middle Years Hub, and one to our Senior Years Hub. At Bentleigh East Campus, a Middle Years Coordinator works with all three of our Year Level Coordinators to support our Year 7 to 9 students.
All members of the College Community are bound by a common approach to pastoral care as detailed in the St Bede’s College Pastoral Care Policy.
Student Wellbeing Services
- One-on-One Counselling ranges from a one-off check-in to long-term, regular sessions with a qualified counsellor
- Group Counselling offers a safe space and sounding board, where students can connect with others sharing similar experiences
- The Resilience Project our College is a Partner School, providing our students and staff with excellent resources on mental health, gratitude, empathy and mindfulness
- Seasons for Growth program helps students dealing with grief, loss and change
- Games Cove a weekly board games group for students in Years 7 to 9
- Drug Alcohol Research and Training educational sessions for Senior Years students with expert, Paul Dillon
- One Beda Student diversity and inclusion in action group, who drive safe spaces, conversations, student voice and support for all across Senior Years
Pastoral Care
Nurturing growth is our focus within Pastoral Care. It is about providing the supportive, positive environment and structures to assist the full development of the person. It reflects the support, encouragement and care of a community living gospel values. As a Catholic College with Lasallian ethos, St Bede’s College encourages through its sacramental, liturgical and daily life, the practice of the presences of God, the use of scriptures and reflection on everyday life in the light of those scriptures.
As a College community, we emphasise the value of certain behaviour and actions – self discipline, self control, self respect, respect for others’ rights, opinions and ideas, respect for others’ talents, respect for others’ characters and backgrounds, honesty, fairness, co-operation, teamwork, dignity in the way we treat each other and the building of esteem in one another.
Middle Years Hubs – Bentleigh East and Mentone
Bentleigh East is home to St Bede’s College dedicated Middle Years Hub (Years 7-9), with our Mentone Campus housing both a Middle and Senior Years Hub. Each student in Years 7 to 9 has a Homeroom Teacher and Year Level Coordinator who work together to monitor the overall progress and development of students in their group.
While individual subject teachers are responsible for students in their classes and the child’s academic progress in that particular subject, the structure of Years 7 to 9 is designed so that each student’s Homeroom Teacher will usually teach their student in their homeroom in at least one subjects, attend camps and assist with sport and co-curricular activities.
Senior Years Hub – House System
Our students in Years 10 to 12 are grouped into our four College Houses operating under the care of four House Coordinators. There are ten Tutor Groups in each House, with a Tutor assigned to a group of students made up of these three year levels. The Tutor System is designed to provide students with access to the support of the Tutor and also with the opportunity to learn from the experiences of other students within the group.
House Coordinator’s work in conjunction with their team of Tutors to ensure the students’ needs are met and progress monitored.
Meet our Wellbeing Team
Our team of caring professionals supports around 400 students with counselling sessions.
It’s heartening to see so many students refer their friend or family member for counselling based on their own positive experiences.
Counselling sessions are open to all students, helping them to achieve a strong sense of self, develop resilience and positive mental health practices.
Sessions are confidential, conducted during school hours and covered via College fees.
Mentone Campus
Mr Tyler Bierman – Counsellor and Provisional Psychologist
Mr Scott Cadby – Wellbeing Coordinator / Counsellor and Psychotherapist
Ms Iris Starcheus – Counsellor
Bentleigh East Campus
Ms Pooja Gupta – Counsellor and Psychologist
