Over the past couple of weeks, I have spoken to students in year assemblies about the wonderful opportunities we have at Meriden to build connections. Then, at the Senior School assembly in the opening address, I spoke again about connection, and how it is through connection that we build a sense of belonging. A strong sense of belonging is incredibly powerful, as it can protect us from bullying.

Last year, a national Rapid Review into bullying took place, looking at how schools respond and what needs to change. As a result, NSW has developed a new Anti Bullying Framework that all schools will be embedding next year. At Meriden, we are in a wonderful position as we prepare to confidently embed this framework. We already have strong pastoral structures and policies in place. However, one area I spoke to the girls about, and one we are keen to develop further, is student voice.

Students are encouraged to speak up, not only if they experience or witness harm, but also to contribute to how we do things at Meriden. I shared some of my learnings from the World Anti Bullying Forum in Norway, where a consistent message was the importance of listening to young people.

Many schools have reported a decline in bullying since the introduction of the social media age delay, and we are interested in learning more about how this may be impacting our students. Some girls have already expressed interest in being involved in a focus group on this topic, and we look forward to hosting a session with parents and carers next term to explore ways we can support positive online behaviour.

We will continue to create opportunities for students to use their voice. We look forward to working in partnership with families as we support each student to feel safe, connected and known within our community.