A Year of Wellbeing

2022-2023

offers a drop-in listening service for any pupil who needs a moment of calm or a listening ear, which in a busy and bustling school is of great value and is additionally a source of advice and signposting for both pupils and staff. There are two further wellbeing spaces, The Wellbeing Treehouse at 2-8 and The Wellbeing Room at 8-13 which are used by staff to support pupils and carry out a variety of therapies including sand, drawing and Lego.

How to support pupils has been a common theme for staff across the school and to date over 60 staff have benefitted from completing ‘Place 2 Be’s’ Mental Health Champion Course which enhances knowledge and confidence as well as arming staff with a range of tools for supporting pupils. The interest and engagement of staff from 2-18 in the mental health strategy is testament to the quality of pastoral care and commitment to the personal development of the pupils.

As with any approach, we know that the voice and views of our pupils must be heard, valued and acted upon, so we set up a pupil mental health group.

Pupils from J3 to Upper Sixth meet twice a term and discuss what we can do to improve and enhance our mental health and wellbeing provision. They have organised events such as Children’s Mental Health Week and most notably produced a mental health and wellbeing survey that pupils from J3 to Upper Sixth completed. They are now using this data to inform future developments and identify any issues or barriers. One of these initiatives, already underway, is a programme of Sixth Form pupil mentors to support the transition for pupils from J5 to the Third Form, which has been suggested and organised by a member of the Lower Sixth.