he RRC follows and puts into practice the School’s trailblazing principles of Positive Education and Wellbeing.
Its innovative boarding wellbeing programs, wellbeing rooms, gardens and outdoor games spaces and reflection areas provide a unique opportunity for Boarders to thrive, academically and personally.
The RRC is a supportive environment that encourages self-awareness, promotes self-reflection, and builds a strong framework for effective communication and collaboration.
Ravenswood recently expanded its Wellbeing Department to five full-time psychologists. In 2023, we also introduced a second therapy dog, Daisy, who alongside Penny offers further wellbeing support. Boarders delight in weekly visits from the dogs, taking them for walks and playing with them in the RRC wellbeing gardens for ‘energy boosts’.
In Term 4, Junior Boarders (Years 7 to 10, as well as Year 6 students about to start boarding) embark on the Collective Wellbeing Program. This helps to re-orient academic study time into meaningful, intentional activities designed to finalise the year and to cultivate opportunities to explore and embrace wellbeing. Boarders also participate in daily mindful activities such as mindful reflection time, and take opportunities to practise gratitude through creating and ‘filling buckets’ with messages of encouragement and appreciation.
Family Support
Ravenswood’s Boarding Community Welcome Event is an excellent opportunity for parents to meet the academic and support staff who will be assisting their daughters. Held at the start of the academic year, the event is a catalyst for ongoing rapport-building. Boarding families meet key academic and wellbeing staff, including Year Coordinators, subject teachers, Heads of Curriculum, and members of the Wellbeing Team.
Throughout the year, boarding families engage with the School community through Parent–Teacher meetings via Zoom, catch-ups with the Director of Boarding, and weekly email updates from the Director of Boarding and Year Coordinator, informing them about their daughters’ learning progress and about upcoming academic events.
In 2023 and 2024, Ravenswood introduced a four-part ‘New Boarding Parents Seminar’. These highly engaging sessions, covering topics such as wellbeing, routines and homesickness, and communication, have had 100% attendance, providing valuable support and advice to boarding families and furthering the RRC sense of community.
Boarders also receive daily academic support from Academic Evening Tutors – high-performing recent Alumni who cover a broad spectrum of subjects.
Boarding parenting information evenings are also held at the start of each term to give an overview of the term and help parents connect with families within their daughter’s year group, as well as with boarding families across year groups.
The School Career Pathways Advisor regularly visits the RRC for dinner, providing a casual opportunity to discuss career options and university pathways.
Visiting the College
Parents are always welcome to visit the RRC, dine with the Boarders or take their daughter out for the evening.
Boarders’ Leave
Ravenswood maintains a flexible approach to leave, provided it is arranged around sporting and co-curricular commitments. Leave must be arranged in advance, in consultation with the Director of Boarding.
Health Care
The Health Care Unit, staffed by Registered Nurses, is on the School grounds and provides medical care to Boarders, as well as to Day Girls who become unwell at school. The Health Care Unit aims to treat health-related conditions with the view to returning students to School so they can continue with their learning.
The Health Care Unit visits the RRC every morning to conduct health checks on each Boarder before they depart for the main campus. Nurses provide primary health care and first aid to students and assist with taking Boarders to medical and dental appointments. They also provide health and wellbeing education, pastoral care and referrals to the School Psychologists and Wellbeing Team.
