BSM Well-being Booklet

The British School of Milan

WELL-BEING OVERVIEW

For Primary and Senior School

CONTENTS

Curriculum Design

Mindfulness

Curriculum

Playground

The co-curriculum

Pastoral Focus the tutor and heads of key stage

Educational Visits

Guest Speakers and Partnerships

Mental Health Awareness Week

Assembly

PSHE and RSE

Students' Mutual Support

School Counsellor

Safeguarding

Mental Health is central to the welfare and success of young people.

At the BSM, we take a holistic approach to addressing the increasing challenges to student well-being.

Our primary duty is to ensure that students feel safe and secure, and enjoy a sense of belonging within the school community and the world beyond.

Our approach to well-being reflects the school values

Curriculum Design

Our curriculum recognises the importance of developing the inner life of the child. Access to sport, music, and arts are all essential outlets for pupils to understand themselves and their emotions fully The broad-ranging cocurriculum complements this, affording pupils opportunities to pursue leisure activities alongside their academic schedule

The IB Internal Assessment calendar is shared to help manage and spread the workload for students We create an inclusive curriculum to represent the diverse community within which we learn and play Everyone should feel they belong

Mindfulness Curriculum

At BSM we teach and practice Mindfulness From Nursery to Year 6 Children learn to manage their emotions, pay attention to the present moment, appreciate their surroundings with curiosity, and treat themselves and others with kindness.

We have teachers qualified in Mindfulness practices and pupil Mindfulness groups led by students who have been trained to lead others.

Playground

We focus on healthy connections in the playground. Children's free playtime is one of the most important times of their day.

We teach the children how to manage relationships in the playground, how to resolve conflict calmly, how to negotiate, and how to make new friends and connections. We are an anti-bullying community.

The Co-Curriculum

The huge range of activities and clubs on offer allow pupils to develop their passions and strengths and to meet with children outside of their class or Tutor Group, finding more ways to belong.

Assembly

Weekly assemblies provide opportunities to talk in a safe and nurturing environment. We discuss issues affecting world communities and issues affecting our own BSM community.

We actively listen to one another and take time to reflect on our school values

We consider how we can put these into practice in our daily lives, and how this can be of benefit to the school, ourselves, and the wider world.

PSHE and RSE

In PSHE and RSE pupils learn about healthy and safe relationships PSHE education equips pupils to adopt healthy behaviours and strategies from an early age, and to seek trustworthy support when they or their friends need it. Protective learning – including good communication, problem-solving, healthy coping skills, resilience and recognising emotions – can reduce the risk of pupils turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms These factors lay the foundations for more specific learning about mental health later on, including a focus on issues such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders.

Older students complete a well-being questionnaire which helps to shape elements of the PSHE curriculum, allowing us to analyse trends in well-being. Well-being focus groups provide further student voice to help shape our approach.

Students' Mutual Support

The Student Council creates a space for student voices to be shared with staff. New students are assigned buddies and older students support those who find the transition to Senior School more challenging

Transition activities include team building as students move into new Tutor Groups.

Pastoral Focus

the tutor and heads of key stage

Pastoral care is a hallmark of the British education system and Form Tutors are the first building block in this

All staff are first-aid trained, and the majority have completed Mental Health Youth Awareness training

Strong relationships are established between home and school, both directly and through connections with the Parent Reps

Celebrations of success include certificates and recognition in assemblies

Attendance is monitored

Software systems allow clear collation and communication if concerns emerge about an individual

Educational Visits

Trips and visits allow students to develop independence in a supportive environment while building relationships

Guest Speakers and Partnerships

Mental health professionals share their expertise with us and we collaborate with groups such as Progetto Itaca to allow students to learn from those outside of BSM too

Mental Health Awareness Weeks

Participation in the annual Children's Mental Health Week and the Mental Health Awareness Week allows pupils to recognise that we all need to engage in activities to develop good mental health, to focus on well-being and take action within our school community

School Counsellor

We have a qualified Counsellor on our Staff The School counsellor carries out a range of work in the school She delivers workshops to the very youngest, focusing on recognising and managing emotions, and with the oldest to understand peer pressure and managing themselves.

She also works on an individual or small group basis with pupils across the school She is available to work with specific issues of well-being and mental health should they arise

Safeguarding

We follow a rigorous policy for Safeguarding pupils. All staff working in the BSM Community recognise their roles and responsibilities for the safety of the pupils we work with

We actively teach children how to keep themselves safe.