Loreto Marryatville SEAD Program

Overview

Aim of the SEAD Program

The SEAD Program at Loreto College aims to provide an evidence-based framework and related activities that acknowledges the developmental stages of girls and young women in order to provide a holistic approach and education of the knowledge and skills required for life success.

In particular, the SEAD Program acknowledges that the development of a positive self-concept, that is not defined by gender stereotypes, as well as the development of self-efficacy, are vital for ensuring girls and women achieve positive life outcomes both during their school and post school lives. We are aware of the adage that ‘girls can’t be what they can’t see’ but we also acknowledge that ‘girls can’t be what they don’t believe’.

Therefore, an understanding of self as leader and in particular self as confident and resilient are vital concepts addressed through the SEAD Program at Loreto College.

Development of the SEAD Program

The SEAD Program was developed due to identified needs within the College for an explicitly taught social, emotional and academic program specific to girls. Because boys and girls have different social, emotional, and academic needs, as well as experience different life outcomes post school, it was important a wellbeing program was developed that was tailored to meet the specific needs of girls.

In developing the program, an extensive evaluation of empirically based research was undertaken that focused on the social, emotional, and academic development of girls as they moved through their specific developmental stages. Many researchers concluded that generic wellbeing programs do not cater for the unique developmental needs of girls and highlighted that the social, emotional, and academic needs for an adolescent girl are unique to gender and developmental phase.

Experts in the field highlighted that a framework aimed at developing girls’ social, emotional, and academic needs was a proactive measure to promote healthy social and emotional development. In addition, such a framework would assist schools to be preventative in the development of mental health difficulties, support school engagement and achievement, and improve students’ ability to function successfully in society.

Founded on the evidence of best practice by researchers in their fields, the SEAD Program is a bringing together of evidence and best practice that encapsulates the inextricably linked social, emotional, and academic dimensions of learning and builds upon other previously empirically based developed programs.

SEAD Program Core Concepts & Implementation

The SEAD Program provides a holistic framework for all areas of the College and whilst it is taught explicitly via two structured timetabled lessons each week it is also embedded in all curriculum and co-curricular areas. The SEAD Program covers concepts such as identity and personal values, leadership and the development of voice, emotions, friendships, and relationships, as well as a focus on growth mindset, strategies for achieving academic success, and other important topics such as online engagement, post-school readiness, and future pathways.

The knowledge and skills taught in the SEAD Program are based on girls’ developmental needs as they move from childhood, adolescence into young womanhood. The SEAD Program is also complemented by other specifically designed curriculum programs such as the Year 6 Enterprise Garden and Year 9 Futures Project which provide skills in entrepreneurialism and further develop an understanding of environmental and social justice issues. In addition, the SEAD Program encompasses the Reception to Year 12 camps and outdoor education programs, which are designed to build girls’ confidence, resilience, and leadership capacity.

The SEAD Program was implemented through various phases:

Phase 1 2019 - The first phase involved the analysis and evaluation of research, as previously described, regarding the issues impacting girls’ social, emotional, and academic growth and achievement and the need to develop a program specifically designed for girls in order to meet these needs. As a result of this research, a framework was developed that provided a scope and sequence of girls’ social, emotional, and academic development from Reception to Year 12.

This phase also involved the appointment of key staff, three positions were created within the College titled, Leader of Student Wellbeing and Academic Care, each of these positions had responsibility for different groups of students. A SEAD Team was created, encompassing the Principal, Deputy Principal, Head of Junior School, Junior School Lead Teacher of SEAD, and the three Leaders of Student Wellbeing and Academic Care. All Senior School students were assigned a Mentor/SEAD Teacher, whilst in the Junior School, the class teacher took on this role. Student tracking meetings were established whereby a key group of staff, including the Deputy Principal or Head of Junior School, Leader of Student Wellbeing and Academic Care or JS classroom teacher, Leader of Learning Intervention and College Psychologist met fortnightly for each year level to discuss and put into place interventions concerning wellbeing and learning. In addition, the position of Head of Student Engagement and Enrichment was established.

Phase 2 2019 - After the initial development of the SEAD Framework that provided the guiding principles of the SEAD program, the more extensive and explicit development of the various SEAD Programs was led by the SEAD Team. This included the writing and implementation of specific strategies and courses for girls aged between 5 years and 18 years, the professional development of staff, the development of a program for parents as well as the development of an online portal (Loreto Connect) of information and resources for students, parents, and staff. A major component of the SEAD program is working as a community with students, parents, and staff in order to bring about best wellbeing outcomes for students. ​

Phase 3 2020 - Involved the continued implementation and further development of specific SEAD Programs in conjunction with the collection of empirical evidence. Data was collected through a variety of measures in order to drive further practice in program development as well as measure the specific outcomes of the SEAD program to ascertain program effectiveness.

In order to track students holistically across their wellbeing and learning outcomes a data analytics program (Loreto Analytics) was implemented to create a data dashboard for every student in the College. This program allowed staff to track and monitor students holistically and longitudinally and put interventions in place if a student was shown to be dropping in engagement, performance or attendance. This aspect of the program provided a readily available snapshot of student wellbeing and learning outcomes for teachers and highlighted where individual student intervention was required. This phase also involved the implementation of the weekly Student Pulse online check-in, this process provided for the monitoring of individuals as well as groups over time. The collection of student data and student voice then directly informed the further development of the SEAD Program and associated curriculum and resources for students, parents, and teachers.

Phase 4 2020 - Involved the further professional development of staff and the development of parent seminars.

Phase 5: 2021 and beyond - The current phase for the SEAD program was to review the robustness of the program both from a baseline of implementation as well as longitudinally with standardised qualitative and quantitative measures specific for girl’s education and learning.

Core Differences of the SEAD Program

A fundamental difference between the SEAD program and several other published programs is that the SEAD program is tailored to suit girls throughout their whole schooling experience, from Early Learning to Year 12 as well as for girls who reside in a in boarding context.

A distinctive feature of the SEAD Program is its all-inclusive approach, the program is not simply a siloed initiative or an ‘add-on’ program. The SEAD program is devised based upon the key skills found to be necessary in girls’ social, emotional, and academic development and exists throughout all areas of the College.

The innovative SEAD Program utlises Student Pulse, an online tool developed by Educator Impact to provide real-time insights and measurements of the week-to-week wellbeing and engagement of students. By tracking the wellbeing of individual students, the school can make informed and immediate changes to the SEAD Program based on different student social and emotional needs.

Importance of the SEAD Program

At Loreto College we purposefully educate girls in order to help shape their self-concept, self-efficacy, and self-confidence so that they develop the knowledge and skills required to reject and overcome the gender stereotypes that attempt to define them.

Societal gender imbalances that we see represented in different professions and life outcomes (such as equal pay and leadership acquisition) are more likely to be influenced from school age if social and cultural influences that exist outside of school are then replicated within it. Our job as educators of girls is to ensure that our girls are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to overcome these challenges and thus to actively break these norms and achieve socially equitable life outcomes.

Effects of the SEAD Program

In line with Loreto College’s strategic objective of using evidence to inform best practice, the following data was collected in relation to student wellbeing in December 2020 and May 2021. This evidence is used to track and monitor students and directly leads to the further development of SEAD programs, activities, and resources. The ARACY Common Approach Survey measures the following areas: Valued and Safe, Healthy, Material Basics, Learning, Participating, and Positive Sense of Identity and Culture.

The results outlined demonstrate that the wellbeing outcomes of students has increased in all areas over the period of data collection between 2020 and 2021. The results also demonstrate that students at Loreto College achieved higher wellbeing outcomes than students in other Australian schools. ​ ​

Student Pulse Data:

As previously outlined, student wellbeing outcomes were also tracked through the Student Pulse program. Gaining immediate feedback in relation to student wellbeing was particularly important during 2020 when there were times of remote learning and student anxiety levels had increased as a result of COVID-19.

From July 2020 to December 2020 there were:

About Dr Nicole Archard, Loreto College Marryatville Principal

Dr Nicole Archard is a highly qualified, passionate advocate for girls’ education. With a Doctor in Philosophy in Gender, Girls’ Education, Women and Leadership, in addition to three Masters’ degrees, she is well qualified to champion that view.

Dr Archard believes that a girls' school environment is the best place for girls to be educated and that it equips them to challenge gender stereotypes, develop a confident and articulate voice, develop leadership capacity in all forums, and be comfortable within themselves.

A published author and accomplished public speaker, Dr Archard advocates nationally and internationally on the topics of gender, women and leadership, girls and STEM, and girls’ education.

About Loreto College

Loreto College Marryatville is South Australia’s leading all-girls day and boarding schools, catering for students from Early Learning to Year 12.

Established in 1905, a Loreto education is built on a 400-year-old tradition first inspired by the founder of Loreto schools worldwide, Mary Ward, and encapsulates her beliefs in delivering an education which inspires strong, passionate, and confident girls and young women.

In delivering this view, Loreto College Marryatville provides girls with a well-rounded education where students are presented with a broad range of opportunities and given the support and encouragement to become confident and engaged learners with the knowledge and skills to make a difference to their world.

Shannon Muscolino

PR Account Director, Ardent Communications

• shannon@ardentcom.com.au
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