Making sure your child is personally known, valued, respected, and cared for during their time at Parade is fundamental in helping students develop as balanced and well-rounded individuals. Every student has access to the wide range of help and support available at the College, so they can enjoy a happy and rewarding education at Parade.
We achieve this in number of ways, including through our House System, Tutor Groups, Counselling Services, Career Support, and Student Support Services. We believe that the relationships your child builds in their Tutor Group, their House and their Year Level, together with the commitment of our staff, will ensure that their memories of Parade will be ones of genuine care and happiness.
The House System gives your child a feeling of belonging from the day they join Parade College. We have five Houses named after the first five founding Brothers of Parade College: Bodkin, Hughes, Lynch, Nolan and Treacy. Every student is placed in one of these five Houses on enrolment at Parade and remains with that House during their time at the College.
At our Bundoora Campus, each House is headed by a House Leader, who has overall responsibility and care for the students in their House, and who works with their team of Tutor Teachers to care for the students in the House.
At our Preston Campus, students in all Year Levels are assigned to Houses and Tutor Groups, as they are at the Bundoora Campus. Student Wellbeing Leaders are appointed to work with the Tutor Teachers from all five Houses in the care of our students.
House Leaders, the Student Wellbeing Leaders, and the Dean of Students collaborate closely with Tutor Teachers to ensure the well-being of students under their care. This Team is supported by our Assistant Principal (Student Wellbeing) who meets regularly with them to make sure that there is a consistent approach to student wellbeing across the Houses and the two campuses.
Students compete in a range of inter-House competitions and activities, participate in House Assemblies, engage in awareness raising and fund-raising activities for the charities their House sponsors, go on camps and retreats together, and have a special House Celebration Day.
The House System provides a strong foundation for pastoral care at both campuses of the College.
Every Parade student will find that they are automatically part of a number of small groups which will support and encourage them during their time with us. As soon as your child arrives at Parade, they will join a House and be allocated to a Tutor Group in that House of approximately twenty-four students. Each Tutor Group is led by a Tutor Teacher who meets with the students in their Tutor Group each morning.
The Tutor Groups are divided into Lower Tutor Groups, consisting of students from Years 7, 8 and 9, and Upper Tutor Groups of students in Years 10, 11 and 12. Students stay together in their Lower Tutor Groups for three years, and move from there to the corresponding Upper Tutor Group, where they will once again be with the students with whom they shared their first year at Parade as Year 7s.
The Tutor Teacher will be the first point of contact for everything to do with your child’s spiritual, academic, social and emotional well-being whilst they are at Parade. The Tutor Teacher will, in most cases, have the care of your child for three years and can build up a strong level of personal knowledge which is used to support their well-being and progress at the College.
Our Student Support Services (SSS) Team provides assistance to students who learn differently.
This includes support for highly able students through the Altior Program and for students with literacy or numeracy difficulties through our Intervention English and Intervention Mathematics classes. In addition, we provide targeted assistance to students with disabilities, students with Refugee Status, students for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL), and Indigenous students.
The SSS Altior Program is available to students who are academically strong, highly motivated, and have an excellent work ethic. Through the Altior Program, students are offered a challenging and accelerated program in core subject areas that enables them to work with likeminded students. Entry into the Altior Program is determined on the basis of students’ performance on the Altior Program Selection Test which is open to Grade 6 students who have been accepted into Parade College.
The SSS Intervention Team includes EAL teachers, Special Education teachers, Teacher Aides, a Speech Pathologist and Psychologist, who provide specialist support. Intervention English classes are offered to eligible Year 7-9 students. Intervention Mathematics classes are available from Year 7-9 with Foundation Mathematics at Year 10 and 11; these classes are open to eligible students. In addition, QuickSmart Numeracy and Literacy, an Australian based intervention, is available to targeted Year 8 students. Our Additional Needs Coordinators oversee support to students who receive additional funding from the Commonwealth Government. Regular Program Support Group Meetings are held involving all stakeholders, including students, who review the student’s educational program.
Homework Club is available to students from 3.15-4.30 in the Resource Centre, two afternoons per week. At Homework Club, students can receive additional assistance from teachers whilst working in a supportive environment. Homework Club helps students to develop good study habits.
Students can be referred to SSS by House Leaders, Tutor Teachers, or Subject Teachers. Parents and Guardians are also very welcome to contact the Director of SSS with any concerns about their son’s progress.
Parade College offer a range of Student Support courses for English and Mathematics.
LEARN MOREThe Altior Program is open to students who are academically strong, highly motivated, and have an excellent work ethic. The program is firmly focused on challenging, accelerated, and negotiated content.
Learn more about the Altior Program and Altior courses.
LEARN MOREThe Careers Centre at Parade College provides a number of services to assist our students, and their families, make successful transitions from school to the work force, apprenticeships, traineeships and for further study for university degrees and TAFE Diplomas.
In Year 10 all students complete the computerised “Career Voyage Programme”, which identifies the job activities that are best suited to each student, and matches these with suitable occupations for further exploration. Students have the opportunity to make appointments with the Careers Counsellor to discuss their Career Voyage reports. The Careers Centre has an extensive library of occupational and vocational information as well as detailed information about a large range of study options for university degrees and TAFE diplomas. They also undertake a subject over the course of the year which allows them to engage in personal exploration of their values, skills, strengths and interests, learn significant terms associated with employment and study, consider data and statistics related to job prospects and develop the practical skills associated with resume writing and job interviews.
Individual one to one careers counselling is provided for students regarding subject selection for Years 11 & 12, resume writing, and job hunting for part time employment, as well as for apprenticeships and traineeships. One to one assistance is also provided for Year 12 students with their VTAC applications for university degrees and TAFE diplomas. VTAC preferences close at the end of September each year. Assistance is also available in December each year when the ATARs are released and during the Change of Preference Period in mid December to ensure a smooth and successful transition from Parade College into employment, further training or study. These appointments can be made online via the Careers Counsellor Booking System available under the ‘Bookings’ tab on the Parade College Student Portal or directly through the Careers Advisor at the College.
Useful career planning information is available through these links:
As specialists in boys’ education, we place great value on developing and supporting each young man in his journey with us, not just academically, but personally, spiritually, socially and emotionally. At any stage along the way, students may need some additional assistance in dealing with a problem or issue. To assist at these times, there are Counsellors – qualified and experienced social workers and psychologists - available at each campus to talk, help, and support your son should he need this expertise.
Our Counselling Team works collaboratively with parents, families, teachers and House Leaders as necessary to assist your son to feel more comfortable and to manage the issue he is facing. A member of the Team will meet with your son, assess his situation and link him into other services, at the College or externally, if they are needed. Referrals can be made by your son, or parents can request an appointment for their sons by calling the College.
House activities, special programs and challenges combine to offer every student opportunities for personal growth and leadership experience. For example each boy participates in the resilience program, 'Rock and Water'. This enables boys to build self-control, self awareness and self confidence through a fun physical learning method. Community action also plays an important role in helping students to understand more about themselves and others.
The National Safe Schools Framework defines bullying as repeated and sustained verbal, physical, social or psychological behaviour that is harmful and involves the misuse of power by an individual or group towards one or more persons.
At Parade, we have a Student Bullying Policy which is designed to address issues of bullying, to support and assist the victim of bullying and to educate and work with the person who has bullied another student. However, it is really important that students report instances of bullying as soon as they emerge so that they can be dealt with quickly and effectively. Students can approach their Tutor Teacher or their House Leader and let them know what is happening for them. Or, if they feel uncomfortable about approaching an adult at school, it is important that they tell their parents and that parents contact the relevant Tutor Teacher or House Leader as quickly as possible – even if your son says that he doesn’t want you to do anything about it. The quickest way to bring a bullying situation to a close is to address it with the student as soon as possible. The College’s Student Bullying Policy is available on our website.
The National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program provides funding to schools to access the services of a school chaplain or student welfare worker. This program aims to help school communities support the spiritual, social and emotional wellbeing of their students.
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