To meet the needs of students and enhance their educational experience and improve student retention, student support services are a vital element in providing the services students may need. They help students stay engaged, overcome barriers, and meet their goals.  

At GCS, a wide range of student support services are available to meet the needs and expectations of students as well as to create an environment conducive to learning and enhance students’ holistic educational experience. The services available to students shall be communicated to students via various channels such as the Website and Student Handbook. 

Student requesting Student Counselling service will need to fill up the Student Counselling and Advice Form. Student will pass the form to the school and school will arrange for appropriate Counsellor. 

Support services available to students such as: 

  • Airport pick-up services upon students’ request for STP students 
  • Accommodation arrangements for STP students if they can’t find a place to stay 
  • Pastoral counselling 
  • Activities to promote mental well-being,  
  • Bonding activities 
  • Close collaboration with parent/legal guardian for students under 18 years of age, 
  • Learning Support Service 

Airport pick-up service and accommodation arrangement 

Upon the student’s request, the student support service staff shall arrange for airport pick-up and/or accommodation arrangements if the student is unable to find a place to stay. 

Pastoral Counselling 

The Pastoral Counselling Service helps students with difficulties. 

A trained Pastoral Counsellor will be engaged to help students through a process of talking, listening and empowerment. The student is provided with a safe place to express their feelings and thoughts about what they perceive to be an issue. Counselling aims to help the student to understand themselves and their situation better and find new ways of coping with issues that cause them to be upset and general well-being.  

If the Pastoral Counsellor finds that the student may require more professional/phycological help such as stress, anger, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, domestic violence, etc, the student will be referred to a professional psychiatrist.   

Bonding activities 

To promote bonding, GCS shall encourage staff and students to participate in various activities such as Outdoor Camping, Festive Celebrations, Family Carnivals, Overseas Birthday celebrations, Potluck, Student Exchange Programmes, etc. for team bonding because Student, Lecturer, and Staff can talk and enjoy each other’s company and built trust and harmony. 

Activities to promote mental well-being  

People who are emotionally well, experts say, have fewer negative emotions and can bounce back from difficulties faster.  

Students can approach GCS’s trained Pastoral Counsellor if he/she wishes to seek help with stress, depression, or any mental health issue.   

To promote mental well-being, GCS shall encourage staff and students to participate in activities to improve mental well-being such as: 

  • Walking 
  • Cycling 
  • Yoga 
  • Swimming 
  • Meditation 
  • Adequate sleep 
  • Connecting with people or catching up with friends 
  • listening to music 

Close collaboration with parent/legal guardian for students under 18 years of age 

For students under 18 years of age, GCS shall collaborate closely with the parent/legal guardian via: 

  • Teacher-Parent meeting (Updating of student’s progress or problems) 
  • Email 
  • Telephone call 

Learning Support Service 

The Operations/Admin Department will arrange appropriate provisions to meet the learning needs of the individual and/or cohort of students who require learning support.  

The focus of the Learning Support is: 

  • To provide effective support for those students who are disadvantaged by a specific learning difficulty 
  • To provide support for those students who have been identified as having difficulties/barriers to learning from the referral process or through data collection and/or assessment 
  • To provide support for those students who may require extra lessons or remedial lessons.