Somerset is a place that comes to life each day with the energy of student endeavour and love of learning. We know that learning takes place not only in the classroom, but in all that we do at the College.
The care of students is at the very core of our work and is indeed the focus of our programmes across academic, pastoral and co-curricular spaces. As part of our commitment to providing care and support to students, our enhanced pastoral care framework was introduced in 2025, which serves an important aspect of our strategic direction in educating the ‘whole child’ and providing care that is timely, bespoke and thorough.
SENIOR SCHOOL
Heads of Year, Jacinta Hyman (Year 7), Rebekah Ward (Year 8), Jordan Gasmier (Year 9), Adam Evans (Year 10), Bronwyn Wright (Year 11) and Bronwyn Lee (Year 12) have led our re-structure in this crucial area of life not only as Somerset students, but as young people navigating challenges in an increasingly complex world. Heads of Year have been working closely with staff and students in our inaugural year to deeply understand each student’s academic, pastoral and wellbeing needs and notably, to draw from evidence-based approaches, to improving the Somerset Experience and personal outcomes for students in their care. We have been interested to reflect on data around student attendance, sanctions, applications for academic considerations and interventions to support student success. We are encouraged by the efficacy of our approach for Semester 1 2025, with an average of a 26% decrease in significant sanctions across Years 7 to 12 being recorded.
The role of House Coordinators is to oversee House-based activities, including Inter-House Carnivals and the evolution of House culture. Hayden Volzke (Andrews), Eleanor Amores (Franklin), Brent Harrison (Laver), Meisha Napoles (Starkey) and Rheanna Dougherty (Veivers) have worked to ensure all students within their House have opportunities to participate and involve themselves in an array initiatives that support what is, a cornerstone of the College; the sense of belonging and pride that students have in their House. An area of strategic focus for the Pastoral Leadership Team will be Pastoral Care Groups and how we can continue to best care for our students in these Groups as we look to 2026. Our strategic focus also intends to address how we can evolve House Spirit and embed opportunities for students and staff to celebrate the rich opportunities belonging to a House brings.
In Term 3, we welcomed Ms Carley O’Connell, Educational and Developmental Psychologist to the pastoral team across Junior and Senior Schools to support our programmes and student care. Carley has commenced work with students and individual cohorts, specifically Year 12 this term as they approach Mock Examinations in Week 8.
Our investment in pastoral care and the expansion of our appointments in the Senior School in 2025 represents our belief that student care goes hand in hand with student outcomes. Research suggests that students who report higher levels of wellbeing and engagement with their school typically achieve stronger outcomes. Personal Success is central to our approach at Somerset and forging strong student-teacher relationships that are founded on respect compliments the care that our staff have for each student.
Our wellbeing programmes are founded on the work of respected professionals including Daniel Principe, Madonna King, Dr Tessa Opie, Glen Gerreyn, Paul Dillon and Emma Tarabacu. Our Men of Honour and Women of Valour programmes continue to guide our Year 7 and 8 students. We have continued to extend our programme to parents in 2025, with our In Conversation Evenings that are designed to support our curriculum and expectations at Somerset. We are eagerly looking forward to our upcoming Evening, presented by Wait Mate.
The re-structure of our pastoral care framework was strategically designed to ensure an intentional and effective approach with each student within the cohort. The move provided the opportunity for a Head of Year to have oversight over all facets of the programmes on offer, and expectations pertaining to, their year level. This centralised approach and strong, unwavering focus on each year level means that all student needs are identified, seen and addressed. Rigorous collection of pastoral and academic data, increased year level meetings and expanded oversight of student engagement across the spectrum of our programmes has, in the first semester of its implementation, proven to strengthen relationships and provide a central point of contact across academic and pastoral spaces for students, parents and staff. The Pastoral Leadership Team identified the most important goal for 2025 would be having the capacity to respond to the individuals within their care, with personalised, evidence-based methods of ensuring their Somerset Experience delivered optimal outcomes. The Heads of Year do not work on their own; the Team is highly collaborative, consultative and meets regularly to ensure that student matters are understood and handled professionally, and sensitively, as students progress through the Senior School. There will be opportunities in Term 4 for parents to meet the Heads of Year and share information if they wish about their children. We will continue to reflect on feedback from students and parents and look to implement what we can moving to ensure that care for our community is at the heart of our structures for student support.
JUNIOR SCHOOL
In the Junior School, we have been reviewing our Pastoral Care Framework, through consultation with staff, students and parents. Thank you for the amazing response to our parent forum held on Tuesday 26 August. Your commitment to Somerset College and feedback is valued. You can access the full Junior School Pastoral Care Framework and Junior School Expectations on the Junior School Homepage on Schoolbox. Each week, we will be providing updates on Schoolbox year level pages, outlining the Junior School expectations focus, as well as regular notifications on the Junior School homepage of upcoming parent education sessions.
At Somerset College, we are committed to nurturing engaged global citizens who aspire to excellence, act with integrity, and value diversity. Our shared expectations form a foundation for the culture and identity of Somerset students, shaping how we interact, learn and grow together as a community.
Guided by the IB philosophy and influenced by the values of our community, these expectations reflect the qualities we aim to cultivate in every Somerset student. They are framed around three core values of safety, learning and respect.
- Safety – We foster a culture of care and responsibility; our actions support the wellbeing of self and others.
- Learning – We nurture a focused, curious and productive learning environment.
- Respect – We promote kindness, integrity, and empathy to build positive relationships and a caring, inclusive community
These expectations are a central component of our Junior School Pastoral Care Framework. They are designed to support students in developing cognitive, self-management and social-emotional skills needed to contribute meaningfully to society.
The following guidelines outlines our approach to establishing and maintaining these expectations in a way that is restorative, proactive, and aligned with the IB philosophy. They are designed with to balance structure with flexibility, allowing for a consistent yet personalised approach to supporting each student.
Our guidelines aim to:
- Honour student voice and agency
- Promote reflection and personal growth
- Strengthen relationships and community
- Encourage collaborative problem solving
- Support the development of self-management and social-emotional skills
Our Essential Agreements bring these expectations to life, embedding them into our daily routines and interactions. They support our students to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally and help realise our College vision of Personal Success, Global Outlook.
Junior School Pastoral Framework
GUIDING PHILOSOPHY
Our Junior School Pastoral Care Framework adopts a modern approach to supporting students built upon the progressive theories and research in neuroscience and psychology.
We prioritise collaboration, restoration and student agency over punitive discipline.
Aligned with the Internation Baccalaureate philosophy, our holistic model integrates academic, socio-emotional, physical and cognitive development.
Guided by our College mission, we aim to nurture resilient, emotionally intelligent individuals who aspire to excellence, act with integrity and value diversity.
THE FRAMEWORK
Our adaptive structure supports individual wellbeing through three key domains: Culture, Learning and Environment that underpin our Purpose.
These domains shape our educational approach to wellbeing and promote understanding of self and others.
A strong collaborative partnership with parents and caregivers is crucial to our ability best support our students.
OUR DEFINITION OF WELLBEING
Wellbeing in the Junior School is defined as experiencing:
- Positive experiences and emotions
- A sense of life satisfaction
- A feeling of purpose and meaning
We recognise wellbeing as multi-dimensional and shaped by diverse influences.
Our Framework supports students in navigating these complexities, helping them grow into conscientious global citizens.
In the Junior School, your child’s class teacher is the first point of contact for Pastoral Care matters. If you have matters you wish to discuss further, please contact a member of the Junior School Leadership Team:
- Head of Junior School Bec Collie
- Assistant Head of Junior School (PYP and Curriculum) Brenda Millican
- Assistant Head, Junior School (Year 3 to 6) - Nick Scott
- Assistant Head, Junior School (Pre-Prep to Year 2) - Elliot Roberts
- Administrator, Junior School - Benita Yam
We are working together, along with teachers, teacher assistants and support staff to provide a supportive learning environment for each and every child. We are here to promote student wellbeing as well as outstanding learning opportunities for personal success.