Mental Health & WellbeingPage

Berry Street Education Model 

As you may be aware, Surfside staff have all recently completed 4 days training in the Berry Street Educational Model (BSEM or “Berry St”) and we are consistently incorporating this practical approach to support all students throughout our Surfside Primary School.  If you would like to find out more about this model please watch this space throughout the term while we unpack various elements of this practical model.

“We integrate it into everything that we do. It’s a set of tools and strategies and ways of thinking that’s the foundation of what we do.” – School Leader 

            The Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) is a practical approach to teaching and learning that enables teachers to increase engagement with students with complex, unmet learning needs and successfully improve all students’ self-regulation, growth and academic achievement. The pedagogical strategies incorporate evidence-based trauma-aware teaching, positive education, and wellbeing practices.

           BSEM’s unique approach is informed by the last 25 years of trauma and positive psychology research. It equips both mainstream and specialist schools with strategies to facilitate students’ cognitive and behavioural change, thereby increasing student engagement to significantly progress their academic achievement. 

Five building blocks to achieve academic and personal growth 

The five domains of the Berry Street Education Model correspond with child-development capacities that each student must build in order to be ‘ready to learn’. When considering how to best meet the needs of students, we focus on building self-regulatory ability, relational capacity and then nurture willingness to engage in learning.

“Students realise that even if they don’t use the strategies now, they’re strategies for life. This isn’t about school, it’s about life” – School Leader

Can’t wait to find out more? Go to  www.bsem.org.au