National recognition for student wellbeing
Our Extended Day Program has been named an Excellence Awardee at the 2024 Australian Education Awards, in the Best Student Wellbeing Program category.
John Paul College has been recognised as an Excellence Awardee at the 2024 Australian Education Awards, with our Extended Day Program nominated for Best Student Wellbeing Program. These national awards recognise the achievements of Australia’s leading schools, principals, teachers and programs.
Since 1997, John Paul International College has led the way in designing programs specifically for international students. The Extended Day Program (EDP) is one of those: an initiative built to strengthen both academic support and wellbeing, and to connect students more closely to the College community.
What the program actually does
The EDP is open to all students, with a particular focus on those in homestay accommodation and international day students in Secondary School. For homestay students it is included in their fees, so academic and co-curricular support sit together rather than being billed apart.
The program sets out to lift engagement with co-curricular activities, support mental health through a structured pastoral care program, strengthen academic results through supervised study, and build a genuine sense of belonging. Students are provided with tutors, an evening meal and late school buses home. Our bilingual staff — working in Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese — are on hand for students who would rather raise a problem in their first language.
“I really like the EDP because it gives me more time to study and learn new things. The teachers and tutors are very helpful and friendly. They always answer my questions and give me feedback. The EDP makes me feel more confident and happier at school.”
Sam To, Year 12 — Vietnam
The benefits of boarding, without boarding
The EDP is designed to offer much of what boarding offers — supervision on campus, academic support, access to co-curricular activities and a nurturing community — to students living with homestay families. For families weighing accommodation options, that combination is often the deciding factor.
We take pride in building services that go beyond conventional schooling, so international students thrive in every part of College life — not just the academic part.
Ask us about wellbeing support
If your child is coming to Australia alone, the support around them matters as much as the classroom. Let's talk about it.