Wellbeing

Respectful Relationships, Rights and Resilience: A Closer Look at the Learning  

Article by Nala Tubb, Head of Character and Student Wellbeing  

At the College, wellbeing, character development, and respectful relationships are viewed as foundational to learning and personal growth. Alongside academic learning, we aim to help students develop the emotional, social, and interpersonal skills needed to navigate relationships, challenges, and the broader world with confidence, empathy, and resilience. 

One area families may hear discussed throughout the year is the Respectful Relationships, Rights and Resilience (RRRR) curriculum. As a lead school within the Brimbank network, our college works collaboratively with other schools and wellbeing leaders to support best practice in the delivery of respectful relationships and social-emotional learning across all year levels. 

Originally developed in response to recommendations following the Royal Commission into Family Violence, Respectful Relationships education aims to help young people develop the skills, awareness, empathy, and understanding needed to build respectful relationships, challenge harmful behaviours and stereotypes, and contribute positively to their communities. 

Importantly, RRRR is not a standalone subject. Rather, it forms one component of our broader Social and Emotional Learning approach alongside digital literacy, wellbeing education, pastoral care, and character development. 

Across our setting, these concepts are embedded developmentally within existing programs and relationships. In Junior School, learning is integrated through our RAVE and CCL units, while in Years 5 and above, key themes are explored through Pastoral Care lessons delivered by Home Group teachers in the middle years and mentor teachers in the senior years. 

At every stage, the focus remains on helping students develop emotional literacy, resilience, respectful communication, help-seeking behaviours, and positive relationship skills appropriate to their age and stage of development. 

In the younger years, learning focuses strongly on helping children build personal strengths, emotional awareness, confidence, and positive relationship skills. Students learn strategies for: 

• identifying and managing emotions,  

• positive coping and stress management,  

• self-talk,  

• friendship skills,  

• resilience,  

• assertiveness,  

• identifying trusted adults,  

• and help-seeking.  

   

Students are also introduced to protective behaviours in age-appropriate ways. This includes developing an understanding of body boundaries, personal safety, safe and unsafe secrets, and recognising situations where they may need support from trusted adults. 

As students move into the middle years, learning expands into more complex social and relational concepts. Students explore areas such as: 

• peer influence,  

• identity,  

• respectful communication,  

• emotional regulation,  

• online interactions,  

• fairness and equity,  

• gender roles and stereotypes,  

• assertiveness,  

• and responsible decision-making.  

   

Students may examine statistical data and real-world examples to better understand issues relating to gender equity, representation, opportunity, and social expectations. Through discussion and reflection, students build awareness of the ways stereotypes and harmful social norms can influence behaviour, relationships, and wellbeing. 

Importantly, students are encouraged to think critically, engage respectfully with different perspectives, and develop the interpersonal skills needed to navigate relationships positively and responsibly. 

In the senior years, students engage more deeply with topics including: 

• resilience,  

• stress management,  

• respectful relationships,  

• safer socialising,  

• consent and boundaries,  

• emotional wellbeing,  

• help-seeking,  

• and maintaining personal wellbeing through increasing independence and responsibility.  

Pastoral Care lessons across the middle and senior years provide valuable opportunities for discussion, reflection, mentoring, and connection with trusted staff members. These relationships and conversations form an important part of supporting student wellbeing across the College. 

As a College, we value the partnership between school and home in these conversations. Families play the primary role in shaping values and character, while schools play an important role in reinforcing emotional literacy, respectful relationships, resilience, safety awareness, and positive social behaviours in developmentally appropriate ways. 

Ultimately, our goal is not simply academic success, but helping young people become thoughtful, respectful, resilient, and compassionate members of the community. Through wellbeing education and pastoral care, we aim to support students to think carefully, care deeply, and act purposefully in the way they engage with others and navigate the world around them.