Table 1.
CORE project intervention summary
| Strategy objectives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| • To increase awareness of the diverse experiences of the school climate or ethos from students, staff and teachers | |||
| • To create opportunities for individual and collective actions to address identified needs and issues in all parts of the school and in association with the local community | |||
| • To build capacity to address issues (i.e., commitment, skills, structures, resources, relationships) and create wide opportunities for engagement | |||
| • To encourage evaluation, critical reflection and improved problem solving | |||
| • To learn from failures and to build on strengths and successes | |||
| Design phases | |||
| 1. Establishment. Form a steering group. Map existing activities, capacities and initiatives in the school | |||
| 2. Assessment. Pre-intervention baseline assessment of social climate and student health risks | |||
| 3. Design and implementation. Data feedback and priority setting, identify improvement strategies, develop professional development activities, implement policy and practice changes | |||
| 4. Post intervention evaluation. Assess students, staff and teachers. Plan for sustainability | |||
| ACTIONS | |||
| Students | Staff and teachers | Community | |
| Photo voice methods to capture the views of different student groups about the school | Hold Professional Development (PD) at times when non-teaching staff can attend | Establishment of Community Liaison Committee. Meets monthly. | |
| More student voice in decision-making-teacher and adviser student representatives to meet monthly with the principal | Mix up staff groups at meetings and events (seating). More events. Different formats. More people encouraged to take the lead roles. | Identify barriers and opportunities of students working part-time in local businesses. Interviews held with shops, businesses and youth group leaders. | |
| Photo board at school to show more faces and different activities | Hold weekly PD 1 hour sessions, instead of eight full-day sessions year | Ideas for more youth-friendly workplaces, e.g., hours of work, time off in exams, time off for sports practice, etc. | |
| New and better orientation practices for incoming Year 10 | Establish new task group to address structural stressors (timetabling pressures) | Communication about CORE in local newspaper; events held with local Business Council | |
| Poetry assignments in English class on the experience of being a teen | New regular Monday Memo from principal to shine the light on many people and connect staff and students with events | Regular column about CORE in the School newsletter and communications with parents | |
| Logo competition to name CORE in the school | Appreciation board: recognition for good work done | ||
| Consultation groups to identify student experience at the school | More walking the corridors and spaces where students say they feel unsafe | ||
| Establishment of Teacher Advisor Period, so all students meet at the beginning of the day with one teacher | Picture board outside the staff room to show who-is-who on the staff | ||