Introducing the Community
Reynella East College, South Australia
Reynella East College is a large, vibrant public education preschool to year 12 school located in southern Adelaide.
Reynella East College provides a unique seamless education for over 1900 children and young people in the southern suburbs of metropolitan Adelaide.
LBI Foundation has partnered with the school community since 2023. This capacity building work has focused on embedding the IMPACT Program as mapped to the needs, context and desired outcomes of the education community.
The capacity building is being personalised to the school and community. The site had a historical commitment to wellbeing, trauma and inclusive practices. The work was focused on consolidating and naming this knowledge and skill base, such that it could be consistently delivered and building upon the strengths and great initiatives already in place.
The capacity building work is funded by the Department of Education Trauma Aware Schools Initiative (TASI). For further information, click here. The intent (or outcomes) and actions of this work are summarised below.
Local Quote
How has IMPACT helped you grow?
I have acquired the knowledge and skills essential for a deep comprehension of my students' situations... As a group of leaders, we are now using the IMPACT program to cast a lens over everything we do. This approach allows us to explore underlying issues, respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively and ensure we have the necessary resources for intentional planning to assist students with complex needs.
Intent ('What')
Build a Wellbeing and Trauma Responsive Educational Community
Where Trauma-Aware Practice is a Way of Thinking and Being
Made Practical Through the Following Co-Designed Outcomes
System
To embed a cohesive, intentional, integrated and common approach to:
- Implement a safe, growth-focused and wellbeing-responsive learning environment.
- Deliver personalised student wellbeing and support services and to meet all students at their individual starting point (needs and context).
- Embed a trauma-responsive, neurodiversity-affirming and inclusive practice culture.
Educators
To embed the awareness, skills and mindsets to:
- Intentionally respond (rather than react) to individual student needs (e.g., trauma, growth, learning, developmental) in a relationship focused and personalised manner.
- Grow student capacity through intentionally delivered social-emotional learning, side-by-side coaching, shared Growth Action Planning processes and through both implicit and explicit learning approaches.
- Empower educators to work together in shared intent (with students and families).
Students
To provide students high quality resources and content that is focused on:
- Foundational wellbeing and resilience skills.
- Social-emotional learning competencies and curriculum.
- Meta-cognitive and problem solving.
- How to work side-by-side with others in shared intent.
Actions ('How')
Summary Actions of the Partnership Journey
- Reynella East have embedded the IMPACT Program in a manner that is mapped to the needs, context and desired outcomes of their community as funded by the Department for Education Trauma Aware Schools Initiative (TASI).
- Implementation underpinned by the Resilient IMPACT capacity building strategy.
- LBI Foundation Community Lead: David Kelly.
- LBI supported the staff team to co-design a locally owned wellbeing framework to empower the school to build a wellbeing-and-trauma responsive educational community from the ground up. It was made practical through an intentional practice logic model.
- The focus has been on making this framework practical and stick in action through the IMPACT Program. All staff have been IMPACT Trained.
- This has been supported by wrap-around coaching and embedding strategies focused on the “learn-it” to “apply-it”.
- A team of 12 key educators and leaders have been accredited as IMPACT Coaches (or Community Champions).
- The focus is on embedding the IMPACT content, including the IMPACT meta-cognitive skills, into the practice culture of the school community.
- Embedded coaching and advanced training.
- Community of practice projects to support local implementation.
- Maintenance and extension of embedding strategy, including through both implementation coaching and clinical coaching.
- Advanced training and embedding of content related to trauma and neurodivergence through the delivery of embedding and deepening modules.
- Local IMPACT Trainers and Coaches delivering foundational IMPACT content.
Community Story
Reynella East College Assistant Principal and Student Agency Leader, Nicole James, is South Australia's IMPACT Coach #200.
Masterclass at PESA Wellbeing Education National Conference.
We’re proud to share that LBI’s Education Lead, David Kelly, was invited to present a masterclass at the 2025 PESA Wellbeing Education National Conference in Adelaide on Monday, 8th of September.
This year’s conference focused on the vital role of trauma-responsive practice in wellbeing education – a theme that is more important than ever as schools respond to the increasing complexity and challenges in students lives.
David co-presented alongside Warren Symonds, Principal of Reynella East College, showcasing how the school is embedding trauma-responsive principles into its culture. Together, they shared evidence-informed strategies and real-world examples from Reynella East College’s journey to becoming a truly, wellbeing-focused, trauma-responsive school community. This initiative has been funded by the Department for Education, South Australia Trauma Aware Schools Initiative.
The masterclass highlighted a key message: schools must embrace complexity, not shy away from it – moving beyond reacting to behaviours and instead intentionally responding to the needs of every student.
A big thank you to PESA for the opportunity to contribute, and to Reynella East College for leading the way in creating safe, supportive, and thriving school communities.