Through a comprehensive well-being curriculum taught throughout the school, students are given the tools, resources and structures to navigate the contexts they find themselves in. Regular, real-time data collection from students through teacher check-ins for younger students and the use of EI Pulse from Years 4-13 allows teachers to respond to students needing additional guidance through a range of situations and challenges. Close collaboration between the pastoral leadership team and school counsellors help create a supportive net around all students.
At ICS, we recognise and are committed to the transition of third-culture kids (TCKs) into our community. Many of our students are citizens of one or two countries; they have lived in many other countries and now reside in Jordan, a new country for them, and have spent much of their childhood navigating the cultures and languages of many places throughout the world. At ICS, we work with these students to ensure they have the skills, connections and relationships within their year groups and wider community to thrive, enabling them to explore, learn and discover at their full potential at ICS.
Peer Helpers
Peer Helpers are students who are selected and trained to recognise when their peers may have a problem; to listen to fellow students confidentially and assist them with emotional, social, or academic struggles.
Our Peer Helper Programme is under the direct supervision of Aseel Qanaze, Secondary Counsellor.
Peer helpers are trained in:
• Beliefs and confidentiality
• Core conditions of peer support
• The ideal helper
• Active listening
• Communication skills
• Group leadership
School Counselling
At ICS, we have based our programme on the International model for Comprehensive School Counselling Programs (CSCP) which is a framework for school counselling programmes around the world.
It is designed to reflect a comprehensive approach to programme foundation, delivery, management and accountability. It is principally intended to promote and enhance the development of the whole school; from both students and staff members. The programme is designed to ensure that every student receives the maximum benefits of the model by having the majority of a school counsellor’s time spent in direct service to students and staff.
Our school is unique in Jordan - with our highly personalised curriculum, our expert pastoral care, and our professional counsellors who hold a minimum of a Master’s Degree in Counselling or a related field, and meet and abide by the country certification/licensure standards of their accrediting bodies. They uphold the ethical and professional standards of BACP, ACA, and/or ASCA and other applicable professional counselling associations.
The Professional School Counsellor
- Serves a crucial role in maximising student achievement as well as personal/social and career development;
- Incorporates leadership, advocacy and collaboration in the educational setting;
- Promotes equity and access to opportunities and educational experience to promote achievement and development by collaborating with other stakeholders;
- Provides a safe learning environment and safeguards the human rights of all school members;
- Addresses the needs of all students through prevention and intervention programmes;
- Works to ensure all students’ dignity and culture (including: race, ethnicity, gender, abilities, sexual orientation, home language, religion, socio-economic status) are respected and valued;
- Helps to create a welcoming, inclusive school climate;
- Develops core competencies to address the unique cultural needs of the students (i.e. promoting inclusive language and cultural recognition, becoming knowledgeable with respect to cultural bias, etc).