WELLBEING
Wellbeing Wellbeing is something of a buzzword in schools, on social media, in the news, and in public policy; and rightly so — there is a proliferation of studies demonstrating how our mental and physical health are intimately linked, and the ways in which they affect our outlook and ability to function and flourish each day. Yet, simultaneously, wellbeing is a nebulous concept: what exactly is wellbeing, and what does it look like to effectively support and promote the wellbeing of the young people in our care? We all experience periods of low mood as well as times when we feel that our wellbeing is excellent. Therefore, at St Leonards, we are committed to equipping young people with the skills to navigate these ups and downs and the self-awareness to know when and what action to take to help themselves or, indeed, to seek support from others. Our wellbeing is shaped by a whole range of emotional, social, physical, financial, and medical factors, and so
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our approach to wellbeing at St Leonards reflects this. School life offers a wide range of challenges which allow for gradual exposure to everyday stresses and strains, and our goal is not to stop our pupils falling or failing, but rather to support them as they get up and go again. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, but rather we tailor our provision to the unique needs of each child and encourage them to reflect on how they are feeling and to communicate this to staff and their families at home – this collaboration is important and incredibly powerful. There is no doubt that the pandemic has had an adverse effect on the wellbeing of children and adults across the country; its legacy will continue in the months and years ahead. The headlines say it all: a rise in mental health issues amongst young people; increased wait times for child and adult mental health services; and the onslaught of a mental health epidemic. At St Leonards, we do our utmost to
support the pupils through the highs and lows of life at school, but our duty of care does not stop here. Perhaps even more importantly, we seek to build mental resilience and to equip the children and teenagers in our care with the tools and strategies to look after their own wellbeing in the years to come – in other words, to be able to weather the storms that life will inevitably throw at them. With all this in mind, at St Leonards, wellbeing pervades all that we do as a school community: it shapes our policies, pastoral care, teaching and learning, and programme of cocurricular activities. We encourage pupils of all ages to connect, give, take notice, keep learning and be active — all of which are widely known to benefit wellbeing. I hope that you enjoy reading more about these key pillars which form the basis of our wellbeing provision in the pages that follow. Andrew Durward, Deputy Head (wellbeing)
