“A high quality education starts with relationships”.
(The Council of Essential Schools’ handbook for 21st Century Education)
Our guidance system aims to ensure all students are known and are able to build relationships with peers and significant adults in a trusting environment in order to support them as students. To do this effectively the school population is divided into smaller groupings.
Family Bauhinia
Family Bauhinia is for students in Years 7 to Year 9 . There are approximately 660 students in this Family with Heads of Year to coordinate any support students may need.
Our key aims in this family are to:
- Learn as much as we can about incoming students and their Primary school experience and to use that understanding to shape their learning with us ensuring that they have the best possible introduction to the school
- Continue to obtain the best possible personal picture of each individual child and to monitor, track and report academic and personal progress
- Give Year 7 students the chance to mix with and learn from Year 8 students
- Offer all the students a chance to take up leadership and personal development roles
- Manage their learning choices and transfer into the next school phase.
In Year 10 students transition into a vertical House structure. We have six Houses each with a Head of House to support each student.
Our key aims of the House system are:
- Establish a really strong House spirit that is both unique and consistent with the values of the School
- Embrace our Make a Difference ethos to build meaningful and sustainable relationships
- Advise and guide on each student’s personal study route and monitor, track and report academic and personal progress
- Provide personal and high quality careers guidance from Year 9 onwards
- Give younger students opportunities to mix with and learn from older peers
- Establish family relationships with particular Houses so that siblings can be known together and parents build relationships with a single Head of House
- Offer the best possible preparation, academically and emotionally, for students choosing and starting upper school academic programmes
- Offer a warm and welcoming House for new students
- Make sure that every child is known and well supported
Tutor Groups
This supportive environment begins immediately upon entry to South Island School when each student joins their tutor group. The tutor group is made up of approximately 18 students and the tutor. The tutor group remains together throughout Years 7 to 13 helping to build trusting relationships and a group identity. Tutor time happens at the start of every day to ensure students are ready for the day ahead.
The Tutor role is a crucial one as they are a child’s most significant adult at school. They are the first point of contact for parents and students. The key role of the Tutor is to build relationships and help students meet their academic expectations.
Students are motivated to give their best through a sense of ownership and belonging. By building relationships between Heads of Houses and Heads of Year, subject teachers, Tutors and parents, we work together to ensure that students develop the knowledge, skills and understanding to be confident, successful and independent individuals and members of society.
