Well-being
Building Confidence and well-being for life 1
Our Community
As a 4—18 through school, the College consists of three sections; Pre-Prep, Prep School and Senior School. Each section is small enough that everyone is known, valued and nurtured and staff pay attention to individual pupils needs at all stages. At the heart of everything within the College is community, not least of which is looking after each other and ensuring everyone within our community is healthy, happy, has a sense of satisfaction from their daily life and enjoys a sense of meaning and purpose. Parents are included in this process so they too feel connected, understood and heard. They are part of the partnership and part of our community. Breadth and balance are words frequently used to describe our curriculum but they apply to more than just the classroom, they apply to the breadth of opportunity beyond the curriculum too—opportunities to balance our physical and mental needs, spending time outdoors, so that we are all able to make the best possible contribution to the College Community and to our teaching and learning. We are blessed with beautiful surroundings, fresh air, nature on our doorstep and excellent sports facilities. The very core of our community is a happy campus with a focus on personalised care.
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Emotional and Spiritual Support Pastoral care, support and guidance are the corner stones of academic success, well-being and happiness. Our aim is to nurture each individual holistically through every stage of their development.
Care and Attention in the Pre-Prep The needs of the youngest members of our community are monitored closely. Teaching and learning is based both in the classroom and out of doors where nature takes a lead role, especially in our Forest School. The importance of embracing and understanding our place in the universe cannot be underestimated. All classes have a Teacher and Teaching Assistant.
Pastoral Care in the Prep School Form Tutors are the first point of contact for parents and pupils in the Prep School providing support and guidance for any concerns or issues. Prep School pupils are asked to be BRIGHT— Be Respectful, Impressive, Gracious, Helpful and Thoughtful.
The (Senior School) House System In the Senior School, pupils base their school days in one of 10 Houses from which their wellbeing and academic needs are monitored and pupils develop greater responsibility for themselves and each other. Our House system provides the backbone to pupil well-being in the Senior School. On joining a House, pupils are assigned a ‘buddy’ who will show them the ropes, help to build their confidence within the House and help them to feel at home. The House Master or Mistress or a member of their team is on hand for all pastoral matters.
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Emotional and Spiritual Support Building Resilience
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgementally... in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.” Jon Kabat-Zinn. What started out as Psychology activity, has mushroomed across the campus. Initially driven by pupils and now championed by members of staff it focusses on what happens when you learn to pay attention, on purpose, to the present moment, leading to physical, emotional and cognitive self-awareness and health. Bishop’s Stortford College was one of the first schools in the UK to introduce Mindfulness to the curriculum.
Mindfulness As members of the highly regarded Mindfulness in Schools Project, we have a dedicated team of fully trained teachers who deliver a 9 week, evidence based, Mindfulness curriculum ‘.b’ . This has been carefully crafted from a range of educational research and the adult MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) programme advocated by health professionals, researchers and even parliamentarians. Evidence shows mindfulness can improve emotional literacy and the ability to self -regulate. The .B course provides a practical tool-kit for life.
Climate and Ethos We strive to create a climate of connectedness, warmth and listening. Boundaries are respected, acceptance of emotions and vulnerabilities are givens. We are inclusive and celebrate our differences whilst looking for meaning and roots in ‘difficult’ behaviour. Understanding is key.
Rest All staff and pupils have free and open access to ‘Rest’, a place of quiet sanctuary, a cup of tea and piece of cake, an ear to listen or simply to be. Run by our College Chaplain in one of the quieter corners of our campus, it is a space for contemplation and reflection. Unpressured and always open, not just for those struggling but for anyone who wants to be the best they can be. Everyone is encouraged to be proactive in their well-being and to become more self-aware.
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Counselling and other services
Counselling The College School Counsellor, Mrs Kerry Elliott and the Counselling service can be accessed through talk@bishopsstortfordcollege.org or by speaking to a Form Tutor, House parent, Ms Daly, Deputy Head (Pastoral) or the Medical Centre. For younger pupils we can also facilitate art or play therapy, if needed, on site. This one to one counselling provides the opportunity to talk about and deal with issues at school or at home, with relationships or stresses, academic pressures and anything preventing pupils from getting the most out of life. Counselling can also be helpful in small groups. We also have a dedicated Family Support Worker who is available to support, advise and signpost families through the trials and tribulations of growing up on the modern world.
Staff Expertise Our Safeguarding team of Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and Deputy DSLs are always available. Pupil welfare is paramount and we have good links with external agencies. Our Medical Centre is staffed with fully qualified nurses who are also trained in Mental Health First Aid (as is our Head of Higher Education and Careers and our Mindfulness lead). Our Chaplain, Mr Morris is available to support both pupils, staff and families with a listening ear and a cup of tea. We work closely with children and their families to develop and review personalised Pastoral Care Plans to provide the best possible support.
Our aim is to nurture and build resilience to enable pupils to fully participate in school and their education feeling happy and fulfilled. 5
Training and Development Training Our House Masters and Mistresses are Level 2 Safeguarding trained and attend regular professional development in all matters pastoral, such as supporting those who are bereaved. The 8 week .B Foundations mindfulness course is available to staff who have yet to complete it. After school yoga sessions are held for staff and we’ve also held a laughter clinic—never underestimate the restorative powers of laughter. And for pupils, our assembly programme covers a myriad of topics including Mental Health Week and Digital Awareness (keeping safe on line). AS (Affective Social) Tracking, in a similar way to academic tracking, allows us to benchmark and monitor the social and emotional narrative for our young people. This enables us to be proactive, targeted and evidence-based in our pastoral care. Healthy eating is encouraged across the campus and supported by our catering team. Our Old Stortfordians are available for mentoring and careers advice and our Higher Education and Careers team can provide a steer as to how to get the best out of school, education, work and training. Pupils, parents and staff will shortly have access, if they wish, to Mental Health First Aid Training thus enhancing emotional literacy for all.
Pupil Initiatives Our Prep School School Councillors founded the
Pupil Voice Network
which regularly
meets with pupils from other local schools to discuss and suggest solutions for issues affecting them. Our Senior School pupils take great pride in their initiatives; they are resourceful and thoughtful, and have included Concern Boxes and
Diversity Ambassadors
in each
House to help to resolve issues, promote inclusion and mutual support. We are extremely proud that they were awarded a Our
Pupil Voice
Stonewall Youth Award
in 2017.
is strong — the Welfare Committee, Dining Hall Committee and the
Boarding Committee are all platforms from which pupils’ suggestions are listened to, and 6
Training and Development Pupil Initiatives, Empower & Pathways where possible acted upon. Our Prefect Team also has regular Q & A sessions with the Senior Management Team and our International Committee focuses on the needs of our overseas boarders.
Empower Senior School Fourth Formers begin their schooling with us learning, in House, about friendships, empathy and how to tackle social or emotional difficulties if they arise. They work towards gaining “Bully Free Status” at a special awards ceremony. Pupils are able to call conflict resolution meetings where they develop important life skills such as effective communication and assertiveness. The
Empower
programme covers all aspects of PSHE
(Personal, Social, Health and Education) including a wonderful calendar of visiting expert speakers, interactive workshops and sessions on healthy living, relationships and living in the wider world. As pupils move up the school the programme develops to encompass exam stress, careers advice, navigating the media and how to help a friend who may be struggling. The Reverend Francis Hutcheson (1694-1746), an Irish-born philosopher introduced the pursuit of happiness as a principle of moral and political action. He proposed that people should cultivate six additional senses including A sense of self-awareness A sense of beauty A moral sense, ‘by which we perceive virtue or vice in ourselves or others’ A sense of home A sense of the ridiculous A sense of community or sensus communis ‘a determination to be pleased with the happiness of others and to be uneasy at their misery.’ Our Empower Assembly Programme aims to develop these senses within a social, moral, spiritual and cultural context.
Pathways The Sixth Form
Pathways
programme, run by our Higher Education and Careers team,
integrates a super-curriculum of study skills with the ‘real world’ preparing them for leaving home and independent living. Attention is given to their own personal ’branding’ and effective planning of the right next steps. 7
Bishop’s Stortford College and the ‘crest’ are Registered Trade Marks of The Incorporated Bishop’s Stortford College Association
Building Confidence for life
Maze Green Road Bishop’s Stortford Hertfordshire CM23 2PJ Telephone: +44 (0)1279 838575 Email: admissions@bishopsstortfordcollege.org www.bishopsstortfordcollege.org 8