Pastoral Care at Stanford
The Pastoral Care programme at Stanford Lake College is underpinned by the ethos and values of the school and is designed to provide a support system for our students which will ensure their development and growth during their time with us. Relationship building is at the heart of this process. We have several levels of Pastoral Care available to our students. Stanford Lake College follows a Visible Wellbeing programme developed by Professor Lea Waters. This approach aims to provide both students and staff with a psychological toolkit that allows them to lead flourishing lives where they are able to feel and function at their best. The programme is overseen by Mr Shane Friedrichs: Deputy Head and Ms Happiness Chauke, the School Counsellor, who is responsible for all counselling
initiatives. Every student in the school belongs to a tutor group of approximately 10 students. All academic and boarding house staff play an integral role in the tutor system.
Each Grade 8 student is allocated a Grade 12 mentor who plays a ‘big brother/big sister’ role and who is there as a guide and support.
A Grade 12 Pastoral Care Committee was established in 2020 and it acts as an ‘ear’ and a ‘shoulder’ to students who feel they need to confide in someone but do not wish to see a staff member. This committee works closely with the staff responsible for the pastoral wellbeing of our students.
Every student in the school belongs to a tutor group of approximately 10 students, generally from within the same grade. They are organised within boarding houses and the boarding staff within each boarding house act as tutors. Day scholar tutor groups are overseen by staff who typically live off campus. The role of the tutor is to keep an eye on all facets of their tutees’ lives and to keep in close contact with parents. They become the ‘parent’ for their tutees while school is in session. The Housemasters/Housemistresses who are in charge of the various boarding houses, as well as the staff in charge of day scholars, are responsible for all the students in their care and play a crucial role in the wellbeing of their students.
In addition to our full-time School Counsellor, we also make use of the services of Mrs Sunita Glanvill, who has a B.Ed Honours Degree in Learner Support and runs Thinking Kids Learning Centre in Tzaneen. Sunita offers our students courses in organisation, thinking skills, coping skills and stress management.