We commit to providing safe and supportive environments which nurture the wellbeing of all students and staff in our community, and hold firmly to the belief that they have a right to be safe, respected and valued in an inclusive environment. We know that when students are happy, they are more engaged with their learning.

Schools benefit from wellbeing initiatives and pastoral care support through Sydney Catholic Schools – in areas such as anti-bullying, positive behaviour, student counselling, refugee support and child protection – which range from universal support for all students, to targeted interventions for students with complex social and emotional needs.

St Gertrude’s Catholic Primary School Smithfield implements programs and initiatives to promote and encourage positive social behaviours, effective communication and problem-solving skills by allΒ  students. Our School-Wide Positive Behaviour for Learning program (SPBL) promotes our key expectations of Respect, Responsibility and Safety. This assists our school to provide a safe and supportive environment guided by the values and traditions of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Students who model these expectations, along with our school motto β€˜Desire God and Learning’,Β  are celebrated through our SPBL reward program and Merit Awards.

Other initiatives include:

  • Buddy programs for our younger students
  • Buddy benches to encourage new friendships
  • Peer Support help with positive play initiatives for our studentsΒ 
  • School counsellor support program – Catholic Care
  • Star of the Week Awards
  • SPBL Reward program
  • Student Merit Awards
StGertrudesCatholicPrimarySchoolSmithfield_SchoolLife_StudentWellbeing

Anti-bullying policy

Sydney Catholic Schools rejects all forms of bullying behaviours, including online (or cyber) bullying, by maintaining a commitment to providing safe, inclusive and respectful learning communities that promote student wellbeing for learning. Staff at Sydney Catholic Schools are committed to employing wellbeing strategies that allow for a healthy school environment where bullying is less likely to occur.

If your child is experiencing bullying of any kind, or you have a wellbeing concern, we have a number of support services available for parents/carers and students, as listed below.

Support services: