Komodo enhances student well-being

After running a successful pilot of the Komodo student well- being programme in the boarding houses over the last four years, the data-driven platform has now been introduced into the Middle School.

Head of Middle School, Matt Parr, says Komodo empowers students to regulate and self-monitor their own well-being, and share their thoughts in a fortnightly survey. The data is monitored by tutors and the year level Dean, enabling them to make positive and effective interventions when needed.

“Since it was introduced in Term 1, Komodo has led to some great conversations with students who might have otherwise not been on our radar. It opens up lines of communication and gives students permission to share their feelings in a confidential way without it being public. Komodo provides us with a valuable snapshot of what is going on for our ākonga and gives them reassurance they are being heard and supported.”

Alongside the fortnightly survey, students have the ability to log into Komodo at any time to check in, raise a concern, or ask for support. “They have responded well to the introduction of the programme, with a high completion rate. So far, it’s going really well.”

Matt says tutors are the first set of eyes on the Komodo data and provide the initial layer of support for students. “A quick conversation to check in is often all that is needed. However, if the concerns are deeper, they will refer the student for more support, perhaps from the Dean or our guidance team. The beauty is that we are providing help at the ‘top of the cliff’ and catching things early rather than concerns being left undetected.”

Matt says teen mental health is one of the biggest drivers behind the introduction of the programme. “Many students will say they are ‘fine’ when asked how they are, but through Komodo they learn to self-regulate, self-check, ask themselves important questions, and seek help if they need it. These are skills they can use any time in years to come if they start to feel a bit low.”

The variety of questions in the holistic Komodo survey could include anything from workload, social interactions, social anxiety, self-esteem, nutrition and sleep quality to physical and spiritual health.

St Andrew’s has worked with Komodo since the earliest beginnings of the Christchurch-based start-up, which now has a global reach. Two years ago the programme was introduced into the Preparatory School, when a pilot was also run with Year 9 students.

“We have run professional development sessions with tutors on how to drill down into the data within the programme, identify where help is needed, and have these important conversations with students,” says Matt. “We also have access to Komodo’s proactive strategies to help with common teenage issues, which we can incorporate into our daily practice, and can even access their psychologists if required. It’s a pretty powerful support network and proactive tool which aligns well with our College well-being framework, PERMA-V.”