Secondary School

Learning is a journey, and here at GSG we are with your child and your family every step of the way.

A focus on well-being and achievement in adolescence

Let’s face it. Adolescence can be tricky for everyone in the family! Your child’s brain and body is growing at a rate comparable to their first year of life. And with changing schedules, new friends, and growing independence, it can take time for parents to adjust as well.

In Secondary School, we recognise how tumultuous early-teenage years can be. We also see within them a huge opportunity to help your child choose the right path.

A focus on well-being and achievement in adolescence

Let’s face it. Adolescence can be tricky for everyone in the family! Your child’s brain and body is growing at a rate comparable to their first year of life. And with changing schedules, new friends, and growing independence, it can take time for parents to adjust as well.

In Secondary School, we recognise how tumultuous early-teenage years can be. We also see within them a huge opportunity to help your child choose the right path.

A focus on well-being and achievement in adolescence

Let’s face it. Adolescence can be tricky for everyone in the family! Your child’s brain and body is growing at a rate comparable to their first year of life. And with changing schedules, new friends, and growing independence, it can take time for parents to adjust as well.

In Secondary School, we recognise how tumultuous early-teenage years can be. We also see within them a huge opportunity to help your child choose the right path.

A focus on well-being and achievement in adolescence

Let’s face it. Adolescence can be tricky for everyone in the family! Your child’s brain and body is growing at a rate comparable to their first year of life. And with changing schedules, new friends, and growing independence, it can take time for parents to adjust as well.

In Secondary School, we recognise how tumultuous early-teenage years can be. We also see within them a huge opportunity to help your child choose the right path.

Learn and grow in a safe, supportive environment

At GSG, pastoral care (that is, the care we take of your child — socially and emotionally) goes hand-in-hand with the academic programme. That’s because we know that in order to learn, your child first has to feel safe and cared for.

In Secondary School, we operate under the following understandings:

• Your child grows and develops at their own pace
• Specialised pastoral care and family involvement support your child as they become young adults
• Adolescents love hands-on activities and relevant, meaningful lesson topics
• Students want to be heard — and it’s our job to provide opportunities for that to happen

Our pastoral care of Year Sevens is a particular point of pride for us at GSG. Starting well before the first day of school, your child (whether they’re a day student or a boarder) will be given opportunities to see what life will be like at GSG.

Year Seven: Embracing change

Change is the overarching theme of Year Seven. For several years, your child has been focused on starting high school. And when the moment arrives, they might be excited, elated, nervous, terrified — or all of the above.

At GSG, we’ll support your child every step of the way. Our Year Seven Transition Programme is designed to make your child feel welcome and confident as they start Secondary School.

This support system includes:

• Homeroom: This is your child’s home base. Their homeroom becomes the anchor point for most activities and learning in Year Seven.
• Pastoral care: Your child will spend much of the first week with their homeroom teacher, learning about how to stay organised and find their way around campus, as well as getting to know their classmates. As a result, most students develop a strong relationship with their homeroom teacher. This relationship will help your child (and the family!) navigate the first year of Secondary School.
• Engaging learning: In Year Seven, your child will have the chance to experience all that GSG has to offer in terms of subjects. Apart from the core subjects they’re probably expecting, they’ll try a number of new subjects over the course of the year. Everything from Sustainable Production, Music, Hospitality, and Technologies is on offer. Trying new things means our Year Sevens discover new interests, build self-confidence and discover new skills.
• Outreach: Year-group activities and House events give our Year Sevens a chance to forge relationships with student leaders across Secondary School, laying the groundwork for the years ahead. They can’t stay in Year Seven forever! Regular exposure to whole-school activities and events will help your child develop a strong connection to the school community. On top of that, they’ll get a sense of the privileges and responsibilities that being a GSG student offers them.

Year Eight: Embracing choice

Thanks to broad subject exposure in Year Seven, your Year Eight child will be ready to make some decisions about their educational path, including choosing elective subjects.

They’ll be making choices in other parts of their life, too.

• Social life: From peer groups to cocurricular activities, your Year Eight child will choose and learn to manage commitments and expectations in a positive, proactive manner.
• Physical wellbeing: As your child gets older, they are more responsible for their physical health — in Year Eight, we focus on choosing healthy activities, nutrition, and relationships.
• Mental health: When the tough stuff happens, your child will learn to respond appropriately, choosing resilience and learning positive life lessons in a safe environment.

Years Nine and Ten: Accept the challenge

As a seasoned secondary schooler, your child now has the opportunity to be a role model for younger students, thanks to community, sport, and leadership opportunities.

As they develop personal independence and start to make choices about their academic pathway, your child will begin to get a clear idea of what success looks like to them. Not only that, they’ll start to make plans to bring that vision to life.

Alongside engaging, supportive teachers and staff, your child will experience a new world of learning opportunities. A strong focus on wellbeing and personal development creates a foundation upon which your child will discover and develop their talents.

Based on their interests, your child may choose to head into Work Experience, take the camp challenge or test their sea legs on a Leeuwin sailing expedition. Our wellbeing team will guide your teen in their academic and social development as they make their way towards their final years of school.

Years Eleven and Twelve: Find your pathway

At this stage, your child will choose from four distinct pathways for Year Eleven and Twelve. Each pathway is valid, constructive, and tailored to your child’s needs and interests.

Choosing a Year Eleven and Twelve pathway can feel confusing and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

Using data collected from Secondary School teachers, your child’s Head of House is on hand to support your child as they make choices about their studies.

As a team, we’ll carefully monitor your child’s progress. This means that when the time comes, we can curate the most appropriate pathway for them.