From the Deputy Head of Senior School – Wellbeing
As part of our Student Wellbeing and Pastoral Care approach, MLC School students in Year 8–Year 10 will take part in ‘respectful relationships workshops, facilitated by ‘Elephant Ed’, on Thursday 5 June 2025. Year 7, Year 11 and Year 12 will be held at a later date.
To complement our wellbeing and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) curriculum and broaden the discussion around consent and positive, pro social relationships, these workshops seek to equip students with knowledge, skills and attitudes to have safe, fulfilling and enjoyable relationships and to be able to make responsible and safe choices that promote and protect their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of others.
According to the national Survey of Secondary Students and Sexual Health (2021), over 95% of young people reported that they believe relationships and sexuality education (RSE) is an important part of the school curriculum. We are adopting a proactive approach towards the issue of consent and hope to strengthen connections between students within and across different year groups, through acquisition of accurate information and supporting development of positive attitudes and values. We are continuing the important discussion of how the wider student community view consent, and the crucial role we play, alongside parents, in addressing and supporting our students around this issue.
Elephant Ed is a leading sexuality and relationships education provider to hundreds of schools around Australia. Elephant Ed’s workshops are evidence-based, age-appropriate and mapped to State and National curriculum guidelines. Elephant Ed is endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner a Trusted eSafety Provider and by the NSW Department of Education as a quality-assured external wellbeing provider.
As always we encourage you to engage in discussion with your daughters prior to and following the workshops and support the ongoing discussion at home.
We also hope you can join us for our P&F Forum – RespectED on Thursday 29 May 2025. This forum addresses one of the most pressing and important issues facing families today: building and fostering respectful relationships. The need for empowering parents and young people with knowledge and strategies has never been more urgent. In particular to see and hear about the continual and devastating impact of relationship violence in our country; affecting 1 in 6 women (physical and/or sexual violence) and 1 in 4 women (emotional abuse) in Australia by a current or previous partner since the age of 15 (AIHW, 2021–22).
Please reach out should you have any questions.
– Andrew Taylor
Deputy Head of Senior School – Wellbeing