Wellbeing Award for Schools 2023

Wellbeing Award for Schools (WAS) Reassessment Report

School name: St Olave’s Prep School

School address and postcode: Southwood Rd, New Eltham London, SE9 3QS

School telephone: 020 8294 8930

School website: www stolaves org uk/

Head teacher: Claire Holloway

Award coordinator: Fiona Pons

Award verifier: Mark Jennett

Date of reassessment: 8 February 2023

Commentary on the mini-portfolio of evidence:

It was a real pleasure to return to a school whose passion for supporting the EWMH of all stakeholders remains as strong as ever.

The portfolio evidence addressed the KPIs effectively and made clear that St Olave’s have continued to use the Award process as part of their commitment to audit and review their provision.

The presentation by the wellbeing lead and Head and confirmed the commitment and breadth of knowledge and skills of leaders and this was also reflected in the positive comments of all stakeholders

Commentary on the tour of the school:

Staff and pupils are open and friendly and make St Olave’s an extremely warm and welcoming place to visit.

Classrooms are attractive and the school has now adopted Zones of Regulation which are displayed (along with material on learning muscles, learning pits etc) in every classroom

A notable feature of the playground is the ‘time to talk’ box which contains self-referral forms that pupils can use to request support from the wellbeing lead

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The school’s allotment is particularly impressive. Children grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers (which are used in the school kitchen and also exchanged for donations to raise additional monies for the allotment) and enjoy a programme of related lessons lead by a fulltime member of staff who is also training as a forest school facilitator. There is also a wellbeing garden which children can staff can access if they need quiet time This is also used for lessons, story time etc and there are also weekend and holiday open days when families can enjoy the allotment facilities together

Commentary on discussions with stakeholders:

Children clearly feel safe and looked after and that all staff are concerned for their welfare. They understand that EWMH is central to their school’s priorities and appreciate the displays and messages around the school and playground reinforcing St Olave’s positive values. They find the zones of regulation helpful and can describe EWMH related discussions they have had in lessons as well as strategies they can use to support their own and others’ wellbeing

Staff are very positive about how the school supports their wellbeing – noting that provision has further improved since verification Some have mentors and welcome the access to an EAP as well as yoga sessions and other activities They describe leaders as very approachable and supportive

Governors are proud of the school’s work around EWMH and understand its relationship to achievement They are keen to ensure that work is effective and understand the importance of supporting staff and parent wellbeing as well as that of pupils

Parents say that the school supports their children’s EWMH extremely well. They say that the positive culture is driven by school leaders and that all staff take time to deal with concerns as they arise. They have high praise for how the school communicates with them and manages key challenges such as transition to secondary school. They report that their children frequently discuss with them the EWMH activities they engage in. This positive assessment is also borne out by the school’s own parent surveys.

Strengths identified during reassessment:

Since first achieving the Award, St Olave’s has significantly enhanced its already impressive provision. The number of staff with a direct role in promoting wellbeing has increased which - as well as increasing capacity - will also help to ensure that provision is both consistent and sustainable. The wellbeing lead is now a full time post and both she and other members of staff have received training in areas including MH First Aid, Draw & Talk, attachment, counselling skills, Lego therapy etc. This in turn has enabled her, alongside TAs and other staff, to run an impressive range of interventions for individual and groups of children Visiting staff include a nurse and S&L therapist There is also a fulltime FLO who, along with the wellbeing lead, has undertaken training on parent MH

The school’s vision places EWMH at the heart of all they do. They have a clear sense of their strengths as well as any areas they still wish to develop further – and a strategic plan in place to achieve this. Their commitment to including all stakeholders in the development of provision is

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reflected in their child-friendly policies, the development of Year 6 wellbeing ambassadors and regular parent events and newsletters.

EWMH is embedded across the PSHE, wider curriculum and assembly programme and is further supported by a huge range of clubs, many of which directly or indirectly support EWMH.

The school conducts regular consultations and assessments of wellbeing using a range of tools (PASS, attitudes to learning, a wellbeing index which is regularly updated by class teachers etc) It uses the feedback to shape its whole school provision and support individual children There are weekly pupil business meetings, the wellbeing lead and Head meet regularly to discuss provision and EWMH is a standing item on SLT and governor meeting agendas

The school has now appointed a number of Year 6 wellbeing champions Younger children are aware that they can go to them for help or a chat if they need one They meet regularly with the wellbeing lead and have conducted assemblies and supported classes during focused wellbeing days The ambassador application forms that the school shared demonstrate an impressive understanding of the importance of EWMH amongst the applicants. Pupils can also share their views as member of the school parliament or food committee or as rights ambassadors.

Provision for staff wellbeing has also been enhanced since verification. St Olave’s now subscribes to an EAP which many staff have accessed (see above) and has flexible working, work-life balance and menopause policies. Leaders are mindful of pressure points – for example ensuring that additional non-contact time is available to staff who lead the many school clubs – and wellbeing is included in staff appraisals.

The school has a fulltime Family Liaison Officer and has highly effective links with parents including afternoons when children share their work with families, weekly newsletters (in addition to specific wellbeing newsletters) and parents’ evenings and workshops – for example on managing screen time In particular, parents praised the regular communication they had with the school during lockdowns

Areas for development:

Leaders update their wellbeing strategy annually and this addresses a range of areas that they intend to develop further Provision is already highly effective and I am confident that they will continue to monitor its effectiveness

In addition, the school could consider:

Continuing to develop and share child-friendly versions of its policies These could be made accessible to all via the website and reviewed with children through existing channels Relevant policies might include Behaviour, Equal Ops, Safeguarding and PSHEE

Consulting with children (and children with SEMH in particular) around why a minority of them say that teachers don’t always notice if they ae unhappy and that they sometimes find it difficult to talk about their feelings. Is there anything else they think the school could do to make current means of identifying and discussing EWMH concerns even more effective?

Continuing to engage with external practitioners and other partners to collect their feedback on the school’s work to support EWMH (see the current, excellent, example of feedback from the S&L therapist included in the portfolio).

Verifier recommendation:

I am delighted to recommend that St Olave’s Prep School be granted the Wellbeing Award for Schools for a further three years.

Head teacher comments:

This reaccreditation is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire school community We understand the crucial role that wellbeing plays in creating a positive and nurturing learning environment This accreditation reflects our commitment to prioritising the mental health and happiness of both our students and staff We will continue to foster a culture that promotes emotional well-being, resilience, and a sense of belonging Thank you to everyone who contributed to this achievement, and let's continue to prioritise the well-being of our school community

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