Wellbeing

Student Wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at VISS.

At VISS, SEW is a proactive and contextualized approach informed by relevant UAE legislation, VISS group policies and evidence-based practices from Victoria. This is underpinned by the VISS Values, Vision and Mission and the cultural and societal norms of Sharjah and the UAE.

We have high expectations for our students and  prioritise  routines, rigour and relationships as key to ensuring an effective and supportive learning environment. Common behaviour expectations  including safety, respect and responsibility are visible and used to ensure common language and approach. 

VISS Values in Action

Our school rules and expectations are framed by our VISS Values. We celebrate the successes of students in these five areas and school consequences are given when these values are not respected.

Striving for EXCELLENCE Shown through always trying your best, in class, on the playground, in sports and all school activities.
Showing INTEGRITY Shown through consistent positive behaviour no matter who is or isn’t watching.
Prioritising LEARNING Shown through an attitude that clearly indicates that learning is the most important aspect of school.
Valuing COMMUNITY Shown through caring for all people in the VISS community and beyond, and doing all you can to ensure that those you come in contact with are comfortable and happy.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) at VISS 

At VISS, Social and Emotional Learning is at the heart of our commitment to developing safe, responsible and respectful learners. Guided by the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, SEL is taught both explicitly through timetabled lessons and embedded across all subject areas and daily routines. 

Our approach focuses on building skills in: 

  • Emotional Literacy – recognising, understanding and expressing emotions effectively 
  • Problem Solving – applying strategies to resolve challenges constructively 
  • Help-Seeking – knowing when and how to ask for support 
  • Positive Coping and Stress Management – developing resilience and strategies for wellbeing 
  • Personal Strengths – identifying and building on individual capabilities 
  • Cyber Awareness – ensuring safe, responsible and respectful use of digital technologies 
  • Bullying Prevention – fostering respectful relationships and proactive strategies to keep all students safe 

By combining structured teaching with authentic, real-life contexts, VISS ensures that SEL is not an isolated program but an integral part of every student’s learning journey. This empowers our learners to thrive academically, socially and emotionally within a safe and supportive school community. 

Child Protection And Safeguarding

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Federal law Number 3 of 2016, previously referred to as “Wadeema’s Law”, ensures that every child in the UAE, whether a resident or tourist, has the right to live and be safe, be educated, and be protected from neglect and all forms of abuse, whether physical, sexual, verbal, emotional or psychological.

At Victoria International School Sharjah (VISS), the health, safety and wellbeing of all our children is of paramount importance to every employee. Our children have the right to protection, regardless of age, gender, race, culture or disability. Child protection is the responsibility of all staff and especially those working with children. The designated Senior Person for Child Protection at VISS is the Executive Principal and in his absence the relevant School Psychologist and Head Principal of Primary or Secondary is in charge of child protection/safeguarding matters. The Executive Principal will be assisted by Head of Primary and/or Head of secondary and members of the Child Protection Team (CPT).

Student Wellbeing Program And Assemblies

There is a structured Wellbeing program which runs fortnightly in the Secondary School, alternating with a fortnightly assembly which is run by students from a different Grade Level each fortnight. Each wellbeing session is made up of a 40-minute lesson where homegroup teachers and Grade Level Leaders and sometimes the help of the School Counsellor work with students to cover different wellbeing areas according to the continuum of the Wellbeing Program. This covers areas of identity, resilience, self-management, dealing with stress and anxiety, just to name a few.

The program is structured in such a way that it can accommodate an as needed session on any issues arising such as bullying, depending on the cohort and what is happening at the time. This program has been a valuable addition to the VISS Academic Program, allowing time for explicit teaching and learning in the area of wellbeing, highlighting it’s importance.

Student Wellbeing in the Primary School takes on a more holistic approach and is a part of every classroom and teaching session. Activities such as meditation and Circle Time are used extensively to help students recognize and manage their own wellbeing.

Each grade level runs their own fortnightly Assembly and once a term a number of individual students are recognized for their excellent adherence of the VISS Values.

Student Wellbeing in the Primary School takes on a more holistic approach and is a part of every classroom and teaching session. Activities such as meditation and Circle Time are used extensively to help students recognize and manage their own wellbeing.

Each grade level runs their own fortnightly Assembly and once a term a number of individual students are recognized for their excellent adherence of the VISS Values.

Student Voice and Leadership at VISS 

At VISS, we believe that students learn best when they are active contributors to their school community. We provide authentic opportunities for students to lead, collaborate and influence decisions that shape their learning and school culture. 

Student leadership is embedded across year levels through a wide range of roles, including: 

  • Student Representative Council (SRC) 
  • School Captains and Vice Captains 
  • House Captains 
  • Digital Leaders 
  • Emirati Student Leaders 
  • Student Culture Committee 

These groups work together to promote the school values and represent their peers in a range of forums. 

Student voice and agency also guides our approach to engagement and wellbeing. We facilitate frequent student voice surveys to better understand experiences of learning, wellbeing and engagement, and ensure that feedback directly informs our practice. Importantly, this process is strengthened through our commitment to collaboration with parents as partners, ensuring a strong and connected community and that shapes the future of VISS. 

By combining structured leadership pathways with genuine consultation, VISS empowers every student to feel valued, heard and capable of making a difference. 

Camps And Activity Weeks

Another important aspect of student wellbeing is teambuilding and the emphasis on powerful bonds and relationships between students in each cohort. One of the ways this is achieved is through the camps and outdoor education initiatives. Camps and sleepovers occur throughout the school at varying times of the year with a strong focus on the students learning about themselves and each other and strategies to help them manage these important relationships, but also allow the students to build some independence being away from home for a few days and having to rely on and take care of themselves.

In the secondary school, activity weeks are held towards the start and end of each year to help build the bonds early on in the year and celebrate them at the end of the year.

Celebrations

We believe in the power of positive reinforcement and we always have something to celebrate as our students are always improving and achieving, and look forward to being recognized for their achievements. This not only acknowledges student success but builds intrinsic motivation in our students to ensure they continue to strive for excellence.

    • Achievements linked to the VISS Values, recorded on engage
    • VISS Values Awards once each term
    • School records noted for Sporting events and awarded in assemblies
    • Students competing for the school in competitions ranging from sports to robotics to reading, are awarded and recognized during assemblies.
    • Academic Awards at the start of each year to celebrate Academic Excellence from the previous year as well as award Honour Board Awards for the Graduating Class
    • Graduation – is one of the highlights of our Celebration calendar, something they look forward to throughout their school life at VISS