Footprints

Footprints is the pastoral care program provided at Westernport Secondary College for all students in years 7, 8 & 9. The program is delivered one period a week to the students by their footprints teacher.

The Footprints teacher at years 7, 8 & 9 is the primary point of contact for parents, students and classroom teachers for issues concerning students in their group.

The Footprints program aims to assist students by;

  • improving their connectedness to teachers and peers and encouraging a sense of belonging through improved participation at school and in the local community.
  • reduced student absenteeism
  • enabling students to develop a set of values that will enhance that will enhance their social competencies via improved personnel and inter-personal skills
  • equipping students with strategies for making informed choices and taking responsibilities for these choices
  • developing team-building and leadership skills
  • educating students on emotional and physical health
  • assisting students in developing vocational pathways
  • reinforce the development of charter priorities

Pathways

The pathways program where possible is delivered by the form teacher to all year 10, 11 & 12 students for one period a week.

The Pathways program aims to assist students by:

  • promoting the development of a “longer-term” relationship between the pastoral teacher and students over a three year period
  • providing a means for the handover of information from Footprints teachers to senior pastoral teachers
  • having a pathways focus
  • providing MIPS planning for students in their group and monitoring student’s progress throughout their senior years.
  • monitoring attendance and any issues related to students’ achieving (or otherwise) their chosen pathway
  • monitoring issues such as attendance & uniform
  • continuing to develop student’s skills in academic areas, study skills, developing homework timetables, using diaries etc
  • providing personal development sessions targeting health and social issues eg TRAG, Safe Partying and mentoring