Case Study of Clarence High School’s
involvement in a Health Promoting
Schools Project.

Getting started

We commenced our involvement in HPS when late in 1997 we made a commitment to establishing a HPS program at Clarence High School. At about the same time we accepted an offer to become involved in the National Mental Health in Schools 'Mindmatters' Project.

We saw our involvement in the' Mindmatters Project' as an opportunity to use the process as a tool to strengthen a 'supportive school environment' for ALL members of the school community. We have been conscious of trying to implement something sustainable. The Health Promoting Schools model of tying together the curriculum, partnerships from within the community and linking these to the school’s ethos, environment and culture seemed appropriate.

About the School

Clarence High School is based on the shores of the Derwent River estuary in the suburb of Howrah/Bellerive. It has a student population of around 800 students predominantly Anglo-Saxon. Up to 40 students claim aboriginality, 10% of the enrolment would be of non-English speaking background.

Planning

We put first things first. We needed to build an infrastructure. Initially, we set up a ''core Mind Matters team' representative of the target groups i.e., parents, students, staff, community health service reps. (this core team could also have been called a HPS core team).

The team wanted to identify what the health issues (particularly mental health issues) were at Clarence High.

We arrived at three key issues to be addressed:

1. Student health promotion
2. Staff health promotion
3. Establishing school — community links

The core team had set tasks to complete:

Briefing the principal, letting him know what was being established in his school. Promoting the Project amongst staff. Promoting the Project amongst parents (via articles in the school newsletter and by speaking to the P&F). Mapping community agencies, who may already or who could provide support to our school community.

Empowering Students

We felt the students needed and deserved a bigger role in the Project. Consequently we held a Youth Health Forum supported by staff and community service personnel, to determine what 'the health issues were' amongst the students at our school. We wanted to hear what the students had to say about what was important to them rather than impose information on students from the top down.

The Forum raised many issues

• drug use
• relationship issues
• stress/coping problems
• they felt their knowledge of support or how to get support was limited

During the forum students made it clear that they wanted a greater involvement in the decision-making processes within the school. A Student Health Action group was established made up of a broad section of the student body, many of who would never have had any prior leadership/self esteem opportunities. They have since tackled these issues (and continue to do so)

1. Drug use and problem solving alternatives
2. Ways to make health information and support more readily available
3. A review and redevelopment of the school drug policy. This was done in partnership with staff, parents, and community health representatives.
4. The Student Health Action Group have now completed 2 parent forums where they have worked with parents and community health agencies to address issues such as drug use and substance abuse; family conflict; and health concerns of teenagers.

The Student Health Action Group in 1999 has just completed a Health Support page, which will appear in the 2000 student planner. This will have information on where students can seek help, get information on community services and support agencies within and outside of the school.

The Health Action group is nearing completion of a Student Health Home Page. This will give all members of our community access to agencies such as Lifeline, QUIT, Kids Help Line and links to other health information sharing sites.

A School Health Promotion Centre is currently being established as a student centre for classes, as well as a place to have access to as much relevant information and examples of student work as possible.

Implementation of the Whole School approach — Use of curriculum

In 1998 the Youth Health Forum confirmed for us that bullying and harassment, dealing with stress, coping with change and recognising the symptoms linked with mental illness were issues of student and community concern. The Mind Matters Project provided us with a range of curriculum materials for us to select from and use during the trial period. (It was important to establish the key issues prior to implementing any curriculum materials).

Teachers of Health, English, SOSE and Speech and Drama agreed to trial material. We took from the Mind Matters package draft units that addressed the above-mentioned issues that were written for the purpose of being trailed in those specific subjects.

In 1999 we wished to address many of these issues across the entire school. We restructured the Peer support program to address many of these student health issues. A pastoral care folder was prepared with units of wok from the Mind Matters curriculum materials. We targeted 5 areas to address, to meet the notion of an integrated health program.

The units were:

• Friendship and Belonging (dealing with change - ways of helping new students settle into Clarence High)
• Changes and challenges (accepting new rules and ways of doing things)
• Its Okay to Tell (an approach to bullying and harassment issues)
• Stressbusters (dealing with stress)
• Goal Setting (an alternative to stress)

Peer support leaders throughout the school have been trained in facilitating activities from this curriculum and they work in conjunction with the Pastoral care teacher in the delivery of the material. (Teachers are encouraged to meet with their peer support leaders the week before the planned lesson to talk about what is to happen during that pastoral care period and how they can support each other). The school has vertically grouped home classes year7-10, peer support leaders are either year 9 or 10 students.

The school is keenly awaiting the revised curriculum resources, we then hope to develop a series of themes, which will be addressed during next year. We are trying to get some continuity across departments and courses within the school so that in addressing health issues the information is not being addressed in isolation in one learning area. Hopefully we can establish more of a whole school approach linking in and supporting other learning areas covering these topics.

Implementation of the Whole School Approach — Change in School Ethos

Staff mental health had been identified as an issue at Clarence High. During 1999 a needs analysis has been undertaken and plans developed by the whole staff to develop a more supportive environment for teachers. This work is ongoing.

The Student Health Action group was awarded a $10,000 grant to develop ‘alternative to drug us strategies’ for the students. This process has included advocacy (identifying a need and writing a submission), surveying the student body, researching alternatives and making decisions. The result is a range of recreational activities and planned recreational facilities including a climbing wall.

Many support groups have been established for students with specific needs.

Changes in Partnerships

A partnership agreement has been entered into with the community, parents, students and teachers, which places HPS as a major priority at Clarence for the next 3 years.

Parents, teachers, students and community members have worked together to;

• Organise student health forums
• Organise parent forums
• Develop a whole school health policy
• Review and rewrite the school drug policy
• Write a submission to the Commonwealth to gain funding to establish a community coalition on health. This group would play a major role in promoting health in the Clarence High Community

Other initiatives include

• Appointing a Police Liaison Officer
• Establishment of Quit groups
• Involving community health nurses and the school social worker in classroom programs
• Initiating a Young Men’s Action Group
• Initiating a Young Women’s Action group
• Training peer support students to lead sessions, which focus on promoting positive mental health in every home group.

Key Results

• Students are sharing in the decision making process
• Partnerships between schools, home. community and community health providers have been strengthened.
• A more positive learning environment has developed by implementing a curriculum that is based on the student's needs and interests.
• Staff feel more skilled in developing teaching and learning activities in the area of mental health.

Phillip Young
Clarence High School

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