Pastoral Care at UWC ISAK Japan, 2022/2023

UWC ISAK Japan strives to offer extremely high-quality care, support and guidance to its
students, and to improve upon this regularly through deliberate and focused research andtraining. This is a domain of special attention in the current school year.
During the past 6 months, and following on the recommendations of a specially commissioned
report, the School has reviewed policies, procedures, and programming associated with mental
health and with general wellness. The aim has been to improve students' campus experienceand to assist them in lifelong learning, in living healthy balanced lifestyles, and in preparing
themselves for life after UWC ISAK Japan. The special report referenced in the first sentence of
this paragraph was published on the UWC ISAK website. Having acted on many of therecommendations of that report, which is a lengthy document, the report itself has now been
replaced by this short summary of Work in Progress.
The Board and Leadership Team, with the assistance of external experts including but notlimited to the writers of the special report, have been working diligently with the UWC ISAK
Japan community to act on the items recommended by a review team in July 2022, and to bringabout improvements in all areas of the School. There is a continuation plan to address areas ofimprovement throughout the school year. As well as continuing to review and update bestpractices in all areas of the school in line with leading research, the Board has appointed a
newly formed Safeguarding Committee to improve the escalation protocol and offer support tothe safeguarding team on campus. A strategic plan is currently in development for even clearer
aims for the future. All of this is work that is ongoing – we take this work of improvement mostseriously, and we know that we must always be alert to keep on doing better for our students.
The Board approved additional special funds of 130 million yen in the current budget year to
support the full implementation of the recommended improvements. The budget has supported,amongst other action steps, the appointment of additional human resources, professional
development and online programmes. This work will continue in future years, as it is not yetand never will be complete.
To support this ongoing transparent dialogue the school has engaged in open discussions withstudents, faculty and staff, and with the families of current students. This has been an
opportunity for all community members to share their thoughts surrounding the recommended
changes and to ask questions in regards to student experience.
The School is working on a well transitioned process to help students settle in quickly on arrival
to campus and also to support them in the transition to life after graduation. This is being donewith student contributions and feedback being an important aspect of the process. The School
co-operates closely with relevant external agencies and consultants to provide guidance andsupport to vulnerable students. It continues to plan an extensive curriculum to enrich
opportunities to develop students’ positive attitudes to health and wellbeing.

There are six main focus areas and actions taken:
Holistic Pastoral Care & Support: A new whole school initiative
Pastoral care requirements are built into job descriptions for community members. There isongoing professional development for faculty and staff in areas of safeguarding and pastoralcare that has been led by external and internal experts.
Students take part in the life skills programme that also provides sessions on safeguarding andpastoral care for students to understand what is needed for a healthy lifestyle and to understandthe support systems currently in place. Online programmes have also been introduced tosupport the use of data-informed support for students.
Behavioural Standards for Staff and Students: Challenging behaviours to create an inclusive
and supportive community
New community agreements include strong mental health components, and guidance on
implementation and mediation have been re-introduced. Ongoing open dialogue surrounding
community agreements is taking place with the support of faculty and SNOW (the StudentCouncil). The Leadership Team has provided guidance to faculty, staff and students with clear
expectations and support for pastoral and safeguarding needs and acceptable behaviour. Low
level behavior concerns are being followed up and recorded to assist in creating an inclusiveand supportive environment.
Location and Physical Environment: Recognizing impact on mental health and well being
Many more excursions have been introduced for students to explore the local area. There are
numerous outdoor education activities programmed throughout the year for students to try newactivities ranging from kayaking to skiing and more. The school has made strong provisions forthe development of students’' spiritual, social and cultural awareness by giving opportunities toengage in a much larger number of activities.
Construction of the Creative Center and the Wellness Center will be completed by December
2023.
Leadership Programme: Young Leaders’ Potential championed through adult and peer
mentoring.
There has been an introduction of adult mentors within the Grade 10 leadership programme tosupport students in achieving strong leadership skills. The programme has been reinvisioned,
taking advantage of strong, healthy student/staff relationships within a more clearly defined
curriculum. The programme introduced is more personalized with individual coaching taking
place. Psych-education workshops are now embedded into the curriculum to support students intheir personal growth.

Residential Life: Enriched by increased engagement with staff and the external community
Residential Life provides clear leadership and programming that provides variety and access toall students. Students are supported in their living environment and additional personnel havebeen added to increase supervision and support. Students have been offered a platform toshare their thoughts on future improvements.
The safety of students on campus continues to be a priority with fire alarms and security
apparatus being updated where necessary to meet the requirements of a boarding school. Our
external suppliers such as cleaners, bus drivers and caterers have all received updated
safeguarding protocols to highlight that safeguarding is the responsibility of all our community
members.
Sense of Community: Bridge cultural gaps across student cohorts
Residential Life has been utilized to bridge gaps between naturally forming groups of students.
The clear expectation of faculty and staff to treat all students equally regardless of backgroundand source of funding has been re-emphasized. Awareness raising has occurred in theconsiderable vulnerabilities that some students enter the school with, and clearer support
networks for students to ask for assistance (e.g., English language proficiency, financial support)
have been established. Ongoing community events allow for engagement and collaboration
between students and faculty/staff.
Parent/guardian webinars and communication with student advisors continue to play a key rolein building community and trusting relationships with our families.
Conclusion:
Pastoral care and safeguarding are the responsibility of all community members and we hope tokeep both those on campus and our wider community across the world up to date with campus
life. If you are a parent or guardian and have concerns about your own child or a friend of yourchild, please reach out to the faculty advisor and share your concerns so we can offer support
and advice where necessary. If you have any concerns for a UWC ISAK Japan student pleasecontact safeguarding@uwcisak.jp.
Please remember and note that we are still acting on the recommendations made to and by us,
and we realize that this work, by its very nature, is never complete. This work is indeed theresponsibility of all community members. Your assistance in this ongoing endeavor is mostwelcome. If you want to read the full pastoral report it can be accessed through the following
link:
Click here to view full pastoral report