WISE Wellbeing Framework

WISE Wellbeing

One thing for certain is that the current landscape of wellbeing amongst youth has never been more complex.

Prior to the pandemic, a leading youth psychologist Dr. Deborah Trengove, alongside a range of educational leaders from different areas of the college created the WISE wellbeing framework. The framework has been developed using the OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 key constructs and the foundations of positive psychology, centring on the idea that high levels of student wellbeing are integral in allowing students to thrive and flourish in educational settings.

The WISE model aims to manage wellbeing across 4 domains and it is used to guide the development of the college’s personal development program (PDP) delivered in our pastoral program. It ensures students are not only ‘known, nurtured and loved’ but are also enriched across our 4 key pillars of wellbeing, being Warm Hearts, Inspired Futures, Strong Minds and Engaged Beings.

Warm Hearts:Nurturing students’ empathy, compassion for others and instil a sense of gratitude within an inclusive school culture. This domain is centred around the OECD constructs of Compassion, Kindness, Empathy, Equality, Justice, Gratitude, Perspective taking, Respect, Sense of belonging, Human Dignity and Inclusiveness.

As a part of this domain students are encouraged to create a warm and inclusive classroom culture at all ages. They learn about respecting the differences of others and consider diversity of experiences.  This is also strongly reflected through our restorative justice approach, whereby students are encouraged to consider the harms of actions and the perspectives of others.

Inspired futures: Developing independent learners who hold self-efficacy for their learning and can engage in purposeful goal setting. It is founded on a hopeful future full of optimism and encourages students to develop their own agency and become an active participant in their learning journey. This domain encompasses the OECD constructs of goal orientation, growth mindset, hope, identity, ICT skills, reflective thinking, self-efficacy, motivation and purpose.

In this area students work with mentors to develop goals, reflect on feedback and start to imagine pathways for their future. The self-managing student framework also fits within this domain. Working towards an inspired future helps students to feel a sense of purpose and ownership over their day to day learning and is key to enhancing engagement and overall wellbeing.

Strong Minds: Promoting students’ curiosity, both about themselves and others. It is about understanding and developing the capacity to manage emotions in a regulated and healthy way. It is based on the OECD constructs of conflict resolution, creativity, critical thinking, curiosity, identity, integrity, mindfulness, perspective taking, problem solving, purpose, resilience, responsibility and self-regulation.

Strong minds in practice is about helping students understand their values and control their emotions when things don’t go their way or challenge their understanding. Academic, personal development and co-curricular enrichment programs continually provide opportunities for students to critically analyse information, use creativity skills to solve problems, and discuss perspectives in a range of different scenarios.

Engaged Beings: Developing students that are community minded, respectful in their interactions and relationships, and who are able to demonstrate effective self-care. This domain is based on the OECD constructs of sustainability, conflict resolution, communication skills, justice, proactivity, responsibility, trust and rules of law/civil society.

In practice this domain is all about the importance of student participation in the college program. Active engagement in academic classes, co-curricular activities, leadership roles and healthy and respectful relationships leads to an increased sense of belonging for students.