Dean of Students | Mr Damien Fall

In the past, I have written about the concept of a student's connection to school and the fact that one goal of a school’s pastoral system is to build in its students a strong sense of belonging.  At Terrace, we aim to build this connection on multiple levels and have the boys feel very much a part of their school, House, Tutor Group, year level, team, band, or any other group with which they identify.  Our recent student surveys allow us to gauge this sense of belonging and to determine how we might alter our practices to ensure boys feel as connected as possible to Terrace.  There is clear evidence that a student’s sense of belonging at school impacts not only their well-being, but can also have an effect on academic and non-academic participation and outcomes. 

It is timely that we are conducting the survey, because the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER) last week released a report indicating that, in Australia, this sense of connection for 15 to 16-year old students does not compare favourably with numerous other OECD nations.  One conclusion of the report was that more Australian students feel awkward, out of place and lonely in school than their OECD peers.  This is quite alarming and, while the reasons behind this Australian trend will vary depending on the context, at Terrace we place a high priority on building the sense of connection and it would be fair to argue that we invest more heavily than most schools in getting this right.  In contrast, Australian students compared favourably to the OECD average in terms of making friends easily at school.  Other interesting findings included:
• Male students reporting a significantly greater sense of belonging at school than female students
• Non-indigenous students reporting significantly stronger connection than Indigenous students
• Students from metropolitan schools reported a significantly greater sense of belonging than those from provincial or remote schools
• Students from the highest socioeconomic quartile reported a significantly greater sense of belonging than other students
• Australian students’ sense of belonging has declined significantly since studies in 2003
For many of our students, the above findings are positive, but we must always bear in mind that, for some students, life at school can be tough.  We challenge our students to ensure that they make a positive difference in the lives of those who might be doing it a little tougher than themselves.

Exams are now underway and I wish all students the very best for the next week or so.  It can be a stressful time, but it is important that our young men don’t use this as an excuse to lower their standards.  In particular, personal presentation remains an important expression of the Terrace Gentleman.  I ask that parents assist us by ensuring that their sons continue to wear their uniform, including the hat, well, at all times.  Some of our Seniors need to improve with wearing their hat to and from school every day.  Older students are also asked to be clean-shaven.  Getting the little things right at all times is a true sign of character.