WELLBEING

from Cranleighan Magazine 2021/2022

HOUSES

Wellbeing is at the heart of who we are at Cranleigh. Year after year, our wellbeing journey grows, and we are proud of our pupils and the broader Cranleigh family who passionately drive this forward. We believe a whole School approach to promoting wellbeing, building resilience and connection, and positive mental health improves outcomes for young people and the wider community.

We know that embedding a culture of wellbeing positively impacts teaching, learning and intercultural understanding. So we focus on character strengths and values in our policies, structure of the day, routines, and rewards process. Values are also embedded in our school ethos: Moral Education, Thought for the Week, Value of the Month and our Cranleigh Code.

These are driven through academic lessons, crosscurricular programmes, and assemblies, highlighting values such as empathy, kindness and compassion, all principles that enrich our shared humanity.

We must engage our pupils in the world beyond school boundaries if we are to foster the intellectual, social, and moral responsibilities of being global citizens. Our school calendar is full of inspiring workshops, special days, outside speakers and community events in the fields of wellbeing, charity, and the environment. We champion pupil voice and leadership; our Head, Heart and Hands Committees are student-led, providing a platform to enable our pupils to share ideas, voice concerns, and seek solutions. This year our committees have continued to develop. We have fostered further collaboration between the three groups with joint projects such as Kindness Week that respected the Eco agenda whilst promoting wellbeing through the very act of giving.

Ramadan Box Appeal

Our Cranleigh Community expresses gratitude in many ways over the school year, and our Ramadan Box Appeal is one of the most impactful. Over 200 boxes containing nonperishable items were generously donated to our hardworking support staff to show them how much we care whilst reminding ourselves of our fortunate positions. This year the boxes were distributed by our Senior Charity Committee students.

Kindness Week

As part of our 5 Days Of Kindness Challenge many dedicated activities highlighted being considerate to ourselves, each other and our planet:

• A Plant in Every Classroom families from our community donated plants to achieve this Cranleigh Eco Committee initiative.

• Random Acts of Kindness our teaching and admin staff anonymously bought gifts for our support staff and maintenance teams to show gratitude for all they do daily to look after our community.

• Wear Your Heart Day; a colourful celebration of kindness and a visible reminder to be caring and treat everyone respectfully. The Prep Wellbeing Committee created our first Pupil Podcast of the year, plus kindness assemblies and tutor time activities encouraged valuable discussions on compassion and empathy.

Be the Change Day

We ended the year with Prep pupils exploring their own Global Goals (UN Sustainable Development Goals) and developing ideas to help achieve them by 2030. Pupils took part in an upcycling project, and PE lessons were taken over by the Year 10 Dance Scholars. Foivi in Year 12, led an energetic dance based on the goal of Gender Equality.

Some fantastic projects were created, including designing new schools, a Global Goals App, podcasts, new bags and bottle gardens. We also had ‘Roving Reporters’ from the Head, Heart, and Hands Committees interviewing staff and pupils.

Thank you to the CCC for their support in wellbeing initiatives throughout the School.

Stop, Breathe, ReflectMindful March

A time to be mindful and focus on consciousness, wellbeing, and positivity. This year’s theme was ‘Stop, Breathe, Reflect’, and daily activities took place during tutor time and lessons over the month. We welcomed Professor Justin Thomas from Zayed University Abu Dhabi, who spoke with our Senior pupils and parents about the science behind mindfulness, and Dr Hady Jerdak from Harley Street Medical Clinic, who talked to our Prep School about the importance of sleep and safe computer usage. We celebrated our last few days of Mindful March with a wash of calming blue and invited our staff to enjoy yoga and a day on the beach at the Jumeirah Saadiyat Island Resort, which kindly provided us with free access during the Spring Break.

World Mental Health Day

Coming out of the global pandemic, our focus this year was ‘I Don’t Mind’ to emphasise how our community supports everyone without the stigma associated with raising mental health concerns. Our pupils came together in their most comfortable clothes to mark this global day. Everything from sportswear to comfy pyjamas was welcomed to foster relaxed, peaceful pupil minds and encourage all to talk about anything concerning them.

Operation Smile

Our Senior pupils wanted to use this day to make people smile and asked our Cranleigh families to generously donate money for Operation Smile UAE. This charity provides corrective surgery to repair cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities to underprivileged children worldwide. We are proud to have funded 44 life-changing operations and a chance to bring a much-needed smile to those children’s faces. Morag Cromey-Hawke from Operation Smile UAE spoke in our Senior assembly later in the year to thank our pupils for their efforts. She is now helping our Senior Charity Committee to set up an Operation Smile Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Team.

Super Socks Day! Dyslexia Awareness Week

Patterned, spotty, quirky, colourful, fun. What a joyful collection of socks! To mark Dyslexia Awareness Week, children and staff wore a combination of unmatching and brightly coloured socks to school. Just like our fingerprints (and unmatched socks), our brains are individual and beautifully unique. Displays around the School highlighted the creativity and contribution to the world of people with dyslexia.