Senior School

RYAS Ready to Learn  

Article by Pasquale Molluso, Acting Deputy Head of Senior School

Supporting Readiness to Learn 

Every year, Overnewton partners with Resilient Youth Australia, a national organisation that works with schools to better understand and support student wellbeing. Through the Student Resilience Survey, we gain valuable insights into the experiences and needs of our students. This information helps the College identify areas where additional support may have the greatest impact. 

One of the areas explored through the survey is readiness to learn. Put simply, this considers whether the everyday stresses young people experience, and the ways they respond to challenges, are helping or hindering their ability to engage with learning. This is different from a student's ability or effort. Two students who are equally capable and hardworking can arrive at school in very different states of readiness to learn. 

This is particularly relevant during the senior years, when students can experience increased pressure through assessment, academic expectations, results and decisions about their future. Supporting students to manage these pressures is therefore an important part of helping them remain engaged and ready to learn. 

The survey also highlights an association between a student's readiness to learn and the support they experience around them. In particular, feeling safe and secure, having parents or carers who encourage them to do their best, and having adults who model positive ways of responding to challenges and setbacks are all associated with stronger readiness to learn. These everyday experiences can provide young people with a sense of security and support as they navigate the pressures of school. 

These kinds of support do not need to be complicated or time-consuming. A regular check-in that isn't focused on results or schoolwork, making time to listen, or sharing how you manage challenges or difficult days can all help. For some young people, having small and predictable routines can also provide a valuable sense of security and stability. 

As students get older, it can be easy to assume that they need less support from the adults around them. In reality, the senior years can bring new and significant pressures, making positive relationships and consistent support more important than ever. 

Each fortnight, the College Careers Team publishes a newsletter providing students and parents with the most up-to-date career information, events and opportunities.  

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