Nexus International School (Singapore) believes that good relationships lead to better student wellbeing and performance. Here’s what their experts have to say…
When it comes to offering pastoral care, Nexus International School (Singapore) believes the focus should be on building good relationships within its community. This applies not just between educators and learners but with parents too.
The reason behind this is pretty simple: good relationships lead to improved wellbeing and performance in children. Dr. Heather Millington, Nexus’ Head of Secondary, cites Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to further explain this. She shares that an individual needs to have their basic needs (physiological, safety, sense of belonging, and esteem) met in order to reach self-actualisation. As such, the school believes that creating a safe and supported environment for its learners is key to helping them achieve their full potential.
What does pastoral care look like at Nexus?
As part of pastoral care, Nexus puts a lot of effort into creating a positive environment and community for its learners. For example, new learners are assigned buddies on their first day at school. The school’s Bilingual Multilingual Language teachers are also there to provide support to learners who are struggling with English. This goes above and beyond just helping them master the language; they teach learners and their peers how to interact with each other as well.
Primary learners stay in fixed classes with the same classmates throughout the school year to encourage the forging of strong relationships. On the other hand, secondary learners, who rotate between classes, have small tutor groups (one teacher to 12 learners) to achieve a similar goal.
These may seem like very simple arrangements, but the small things often make the biggest difference! And this definitely shows when you see how happy Nexus’ learners are to attend school.
Nexus’ counsellors contribute to the wellness of the entire school community
The school has two in-house counsellors, Daniel and Zanthe, who provide support to not just learners, but teachers and parents as well. Learners who face personal challenges can expect a listening ear from the counsellors. Teachers who need guidance and advice on handling learners can also seek support. Parents also benefit from the workshops organised by the counsellors in matters relating to helping children.
Daniel shared with us his take on the importance of building good relationships in school, “Each child has many significant relationships in their lives, whether it be parent to child, child to teacher, child to friend or even child to self. Strong relationships will help a child feel safe and supported.” According to his colleague, Zanthe, strong relationships are especially essential as learners face “new challenges from a social and self-esteem perspective” due to constant changes caused by the pandemic.
How parents can support their children at home
Daniel and Zanthe shared three top tips that parents can use at home to build strong relationships with their children:
- Go in with an open mind to help your child express what they think and what they feel;
- Listen first, but don’t give answers. Instead, collaborate with your child to build solutions together; and
- Build resilience in your child through guided independent problem solving.
Parents who are interested to learn more about how Nexus builds a conducive learning environment for learners to excel can find out more about the school through its website.
This post is in partnership with Nexus International School (Singapore).