Wellbeing Matters
Welcome At Dulwich College, we are committed to providing a holistic education for all our pupils and see our academic and pastoral work as interrelated and complementary. We believe it is vital that, alongside achieving their academic potential, our pupils learn skills and have experiences that enable them to thrive and flourish during the school day - and beyond. The College is committed to promoting wellbeing which is provided in a range of age-appropriate ways: from circle time for the younger pupils, to dedicated lesson and curriculum time as pupils progress through the College, and College- wide awareness days, weeks and termly focus to ensure that wellbeing is an ever presence and focus in the development of our pupils. The ability to balance various and considerable demands on our time, while finding space for reflection and remaining well-balanced, intuitive and flexible in our thinking is a key 21st-century challenge and skill. We wish our pupils to be emotionally, physically and spiritually healthy; able to make sound life choices; to engage productively with the community and in the relationships that they form; to be compassionate, reflective and well-informed individuals; and to be well prepared for life beyond Dulwich. Our Wellbeing programme and extensive support for pupils underpins school life and the intention of this publication is to illustrate just how this is achieved.
Wellbeing at the College
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A day in the life of DUCKS
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Junior School
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Lower School
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Middle School
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Upper School
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Boarding
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The Pastoral and Wellbeing Team
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Nathalie Whittington Head of Wellbeing
Beyond the Curriculum
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Physical Wellbeing
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Creative Wellbeing
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Wellbeing in the College Libraries and Archives
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College Campus and Wellbeing
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Wellbeing at the College
Emotional health
Pupils develop physical and emotional wellbeing at the College and our programme has been designed also to promote self-knowledge and build emotional intelligence. It comprises six strands: emotional health , spiritual health , physical health , living in community , healthy living and preparation for the future . Throughout their time at the senior school, pupils have time specifically focused on supporting and improving their wellbeing. Pupils from Years 7 to 13 have one period of curriculum time per two-week timetable cycle set aside for the delivery of wellbeing. This is delivered by their Form Tutor. As well as weekly tutor time and assemblies, the Upper School pupils also have a series of lectures, talks and events to support the key topic areas for their specific wellbeing provision. Our programme covers an extensive range of topics including: friendships, bullying, mindfulness, resilience, financial literacy, campaigning, sexting, pornography, mental health, domestic survival, sexual health and careers. We are working increasingly with parents in our quest to encourage a greater sense of wellbeing, in particular with regular Pastoral and Wellbeing parent talks throughout the academic year. In addition to the formal Wellbeing programme, we have structures and people in place to provide support. Our Form Tutors and Year Heads are often the first point of call for pupils and parents. We also have an on-site counselling team, the Medical Centre, the Chaplaincy team, a peer-led mentoring service, a Community Action programme, and activities supporting charitable fund raising.
Spiritual health
Physical health
Living in community
Healthy living
Preparation for the future
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College-wide Wellbeing Awareness Events
Mental Health Awareness Events
There are a number of events that take place annually to allow the College community to collectively explore wellbeing and mental health. DC IAM – Dulwich College Identity Awareness Month ‘Belonging is not a once-and-for-all condition, a static identity tattooed on our skin; it is a constant self- examination and dynamic revision of where we are, who we are, and where we want to be.’ – Elif Shafak Each year, we invite the pupils and staff to consider their own identity and sense of self, to understand the lived experiences of others, and to reflect on a sense of and being part of a community. Our identity awareness month activities include assemblies, speakers, lessons, and a creative, collective response that recognises that having a sense of belonging is linked to our mental health. The month also celebrates LGBT History.
As a College, we mark and celebrate National Mental Health Awareness Week. We usually follow the Mental Health Foundation’s yearly theme for the week. At a time in the school year when many of our pupils are preparing for examinations, this week provides the necessary platform, space and time to remind us to focus on our mental health. We consider themes such as being heard, connecting with others, and how nature and your environment can enhance mental health. The Year 11s also have a designated Mental Health Awareness Day where they take part in a range of activities that encourage them to think about the resources and approaches that they can actively use to support their wellbeing.
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A day in the life at DUCKS The wellbeing of our children and parents is considered at every step of the way at DUCKS Kindergarten and Infants’ School.
2. Settling In Saying goodbye at the start of the school day can be a difficult time for our youngest children. A friendly welcome from staff and children alongside enticing, interesting and varied classroom activities can make it easier. The morning routine helps, too. Adults quickly learn the best ways to make each individual child feel welcome.
Arrive
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1. Breakfast Club Children who come to school early for breakfast are welcomed by friendly faces and given the opportunity to enjoy a sociable meal with friends. Children are encouraged to choose for themselves, help themselves to their own breakfast and help each other, too. 4. Forest School In the orchard, children have the chance to enjoy nature in all weathers. Activities are child-initiated and teamwork is encouraged. Small, achievable tasks allow children to grow in confidence as they begin to take more risks in their play. The uneven ground, climbing logs and minibeasts are all part of the adventure.
3. Assembly A time to reflect, to think of others, to celebrate achievements across the curriculum, the assembly is a very important part of our school routine in the Infants’ School.
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5. Key Person All our children are assigned a key person, who takes the lead in looking after them at DUCKS, gets to know them particularly well and plans activities to meet their interests and developmental needs. It is hugely reassuring for our children to have one staff member they feel especially close to, and the bond they develop is special and significant.
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5 6. Communication A strong link between home and school is important for children’s confidence and wellbeing. Children know that the staff at DUCKS are interested in their time at home, and that parents are interested in what they do at school. In the Early Years families and children together record exciting events via Tapestry and these are shared in school. As the children get older, they present to the class, talking to their friends about their experiences and interests answering questions. This is a great opportunity for us all to listen to each other, value each other’s experiences, and strengthen the connection between school and home. 6
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10. Sleep Time Rest is so important for healthy bodies and minds and many of our youngest children need their naps. In the Kindergarten, they go to rest in the sleep room; in Pre Reception they head to the cosy corner if they feel tired.
12. Golden Rules At DUCKS, we follow six golden rules to keep our school a happy place: we are gentle, we are kind, we are honest, we listen, we look after property, we work hard.
Role Models As part of Community Action, we welcome older pupils from local schools to volunteer and spend time engaging and supporting all our learners.
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11. Circle Time A chance for everyone to have their say, speak aloud in front of their peers and take turns, circle time is an excellent way to discuss the issues that are on our children’s minds. It may be that we need to discuss events in the playground, the news or ideas that feature in our termly Wellbeing or RE topics. Everyone has a voice, and everyone’s contribution is valued.
13.FruityTea We celebrate all our learners in many different ways and once a week a child is chosen from each class to have fruity tea with the Head of DUCKS in their office.
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9. DUCKS of the Week In Friday’s achievement
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assembly, ‘Duck of the week’ is awarded to children from each class who have done something particularly special.
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Home
8. Playtime Provision Some children want to run around and let off steam, others want to chat with their friends, some need a quiet space to reflect at playtime, so the DUCKS playgrounds offer spaces to engage in a variety of different activities. The staff on duty give support and will join in or intervene if needed, but children are encouraged to make their own fun at this time, resolve disputes themselves when they can, look after each other and work together. 14. RULER At DUCKS we follow the RULER programme for explicitly teaching emotional literacy. Borne out of research from the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence, the programme teaches children the language they need to be able to Recognise, Understand, Label, Express and Regulate (RULER) their emotions.
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7. Sticker Books For KS1 All our children are given reward stickers for effort and achievement in all areas, but our older children collect them in sticker books and save up to earn a certificate, medal or shield which they are presented in assemblies.
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Junior School We believe that a healthy sense of wellbeing is the cornerstone of creating curious, interested and interesting young people. The relationships fostered between the pupils and our dedicated staff are central to this, reinforced by the processes and subjects explored within Wellbeing lessons.
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When pupils join the Junior School, we do all we can to ensure they settle in quickly, make friends and enjoy their new environment. They are assigned an older buddy who writes to them in the summer term before they arrive in September and the pair are given activities to complete together such as playing patball or reading in the library together. Wellbeing is part of the general practice of the school as a whole. Pupils are encouraged to nominate each other for a kindness leaf and these are announced by our Junior School Prefects as they are awarded in our Celebration Assembly. Around the school, we also promote a shared language for kind behaviour founded on two principles: the effect of others’ emotions and offering a ‘choice of consequence’, emphasising that pupils have control over their actions and decision-making. Wellbeing circle time is used to develop trust and empathy between pupils and teachers and it is a time to share issues that concern them as well as thinking about feelings and
managing difficult emotions. Sessions are planned in detail, covering relevant themes to promote pupils’ emotional literacy. Circle times are also valued as a vehicle to improve speaking and listening skills, extend powers of concentration and enhance relationships. It is also a time to encourage respect, value differences and to develop confidence and self-esteem. ‘ In the Junior School we have a Kindness Tree which was made for us by members of the Senior School. It takes pride of place in the hall - pupils nominate each other for a kindness leaf and these leaves are awarded in our Celebration Assembly and placed on the tree.’ The Wellbeing curriculum also promotes a sense of community and considers issues that affect it such as homelessness, human rights and pollution. Pupils work together to explore issues and identify actions so that they develop their understanding of their local, national and international community as responsible, caring citizens.
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Lower School For many young pupils, the transfer from primary to secondary school can be very challenging. While those coming from the Junior School will be familiar with the College campus, pupils who join us at 11+ may have some feelings of apprehension about moving on from familiar surroundings. The Lower School prides itself on supporting pupils through this initial period of change, and then preparing them to deal with adolescence and its associated challenges.
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In Year 7, our primary aim is to help pupils feel comfortable and safe at the College so they may fulfil their academic potential. Lower School pupils are generally taught in form rooms and this helps them to quickly establish a sense of community and belonging. At the start of each day, pupils can expect to be greeted personally by their Head of Year, and friendships that were established during the team building days at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term are cemented when each class spends a week at the Dulwich Outdoor Centre in the Brecon Beacons. For many, this trip is a highlight of their time in the Lower School. It helps to develop self-confidence, perseverance and tenacity when faced with difficulties – life skills that are just as important as the academic skills learned in the classroom. We deliberately encourage a broad curriculum, which exposes pupils to a wide range of emotions and situations, so they are able to develop their sense of empathy and tolerance. This is achieved through the delivery of a diverse curriculum that explores themes of race and identity, including day trips away from the College, to Neasden Temple for example, and Free-Learning days that involve other schools within the community, such as Year 7 Spanish Day in association with City Heights and Dulwich Prep London. Pupils take part in a comprehensive programme of Wellbeing lessons, which are held fortnightly. Initially, these lessons focus on personal relationships, making friends,
discrimination, tolerance and anti-bullying but then expand to include healthy eating and living, puberty and exploring human rights and what it means to live in a democracy. Pupils are encouraged to develop their emotional literacy and a six-week resilience course, including keeping a gratitude diary, encourages this. In Year 8, wherever possible, pupils remain with the same Form Tutor they had in Year 7. In this way, we continue to provide the continuity and consistency necessary to help pupils cope with the challenges presented by adolescence and puberty. At a time when pupils are experiencing significant emotional and physical change, we provide them with a stable environment in which they can safely explore and develop their own identity and sense of independence. We help pupils in Year 8 to develop their leadership skills by running clubs and societies for other members of the Lower School. There is also a peer mentor system that assigns members of the Upper School to each Lower School tutor group. We encourage them to continue to take part in as many co-curricular activities as possible, so they might find a particular area in which they can specialise later during their time at the College. Finally, we encourage pupils to reflect on their experiences in the Lower School, so that they are then able to manage, independently this time, the transfer to the next stage of their life at Dulwich in the Middle School.
As part of the six strands of our Wellbeing Programme, pupils in the Lower School cover a range of topics:
Emotional health
Spiritual health
Physical health
Living in community
Healthy living
Preparation for the future
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Middle School As the pupils grow older, the scale of the Dulwich campus gives them the space, both literally and metaphorically, to grow up – room to kick a ball around on the Tank Fields, chat to friends in a Cloister or watch cricket from the Clump. Environments matter and the majestic settings of the Barry Buildings and The Laboratory are a great inspiration in all weathers!
The larger campus also allows the pupils to find niches within which to develop friendships and hone skills. For many pupils, their time in the Music School, Library, Theatre, PE Centre and Archive are as formative as their principal lessons, and with a large school there is an easy overlap between these many worlds. Pupils are also helped to become more independent and mature through their working relationships with staff.
the Middle School they will be educated about healthy relationships, consent and communication, sexual health and contraception, sexting, pornography, internet safety, emotional and physical health, positive masculinity, and drugs and alcohol awareness. Pupils progress through the school with lessons about campaigning, equipping them to engage with their local and global communities to effect change in a positive way, while engaging with difficult topics such as racism, immigration and gender equality along the way. They are taught the skills of mindfulness and readaxation, and self-care approaches and resources to aid concentration for examinations as part of their toolkit for good mental health.
We know that adolescence is a difficult time for many young people who are simultaneously coping with hormone, body and brain changes whilst establishing a personal identity, engaging in a multitude of co-curricular activities and preparing for their first public examinations. Our Wellbeing Programme for the Middle School is designed specifically to meet the needs of the pupils at this time of their lives. As they enter the Middle School, pupils learn about what it means to be a digital citizen and make healthy, informed choices about their on-line activity. Throughout
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Upper School It is our role to help pupils during their transition towards adulthood, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and virtues to navigate life beyond the College.
There is a great deal of pressure to conform to the will of the group, but our hope is that a Dulwich education will give pupils the strength and courage to become reflective individuals – prepared to stand up for what is morally right even if that might come at some personal cost. Young people are under so much pressure to achieve that the expectations can be very daunting. The Upper School provides a supportive environment where pupils know they can turn to someone – be it a friend, Tutor, Chaplain, Head of Year or a counsellor – who is there to listen. Pupils are also given a ‘Looking after your mental health’ card to carry with them with tips and places to go for further advice. The Wellbeing Programme in the Upper School is designed to give students the skills to make the right decisions or to help others make the right decisions. Through a series of lessons and lectures, students will build on what they have learned in previous years to discuss topics such as addiction, healthy relationships, consent, sexual health, fake news, conspiracy theories, and extremism. As they reach their final year at the College, they will look at finance, credit, buying and renting, scams, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, staying safe abroad, and student finance. Whilst the issues covered may not
affect individuals, there is a focus on being there to support others who may experience challenges.
As well as a Wellbeing Prefect, some members of the Upper School are appointed as Digital Ambassadors. They support the delivery of digital awareness throughout the school and encourage pupils to consider how to manage their online identities in a safe, secure and controlled way.
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The boarding house is more than just a place to stay during term-time. It is a home, albeit a second home, and it is essential that it feels like this. Wellbeing support for boarders is therefore extensive and the team comprises senior staff, Housemasters, Tutors, the Matrons, the Chaplain and those who work in the medical centre, as well as the other pupils.
Boarding In addition to the daily pastoral support, junior boarders benefit from a timetabled Wellbeing Programme, while the senior boarders’ programme runs in conjunction with the Upper School Wellbeing curriculum. This focuses on aspects of welfare more specific to pupils of this age. Supporting the daily work of the Housemasters and Tutors, visiting speakers and senior members of staff deliver a series of evening sessions on subjects such as healthy eating, the importance of sleep and coping with stress. Boarders also have their own careers’ consultant who supplements the work of the Careers Department.
A pupil’s success can be measured in many ways; there are objective achievements such as academic grades, university offers, participation in sports teams, drama productions or a musical performance, a contribution to the Union, a visit to the Rocketry society, the running of a charity event or even participation in the Duke of Edinburgh award. But what underpins this are the more subjective elements; a sense of belonging, happiness and engagement, both mental and physical.
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The Pastoral and Wellbeing Team
The Wellbeing and Pastoral Team at the College is extensive and includes the Head and Deputy-Heads of Wellbeing, Form Tutors, Heads of Year, Day House Masters, the Chaplaincy team, and boarding and medical centre staff. These people form an essential and far-reaching network of support accessible to all pupils in the Junior, Lower, Middle and Upper Schools. We also work closely with a range of external partners to support our delivery of specific areas of the Wellbeing curriculum as well as workshops to support pupil mental health.
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Chaplaincy The main role of the Chaplain is to support the whole College community in our existential journey. Whilst this might sound complex – it really isn’t! The Chaplain invests in the whole community, from the youngest to the oldest, as we seek to engage with our communal and individual questions relating to our meaning and purpose. In our desire to best understand the joy and the sadness of life (and everything in between), we all lean on those things that help us make sense of life’s questions – this is our ‘scaffolding’. For many this might be a religious perspective; for many it is not. But we all ask the questions, have the experiences and seek to live well. In addition to this, the Chaplain helps our community to understand other people’s ‘scaffolding’ for life, thus ensuring that, individually and communally, we grow in our empathy and compassion. Our Chaplain is a Christian Priest in the Anglican tradition – initially ordained within the Anglican Church of Kenya – who has an ecumenical, inclusive outlook. The Chaplain seeks to engage with and be relevant to everyone in our community whether in a group or individual setting. Where the worldview is from the various Christian traditions, the Chaplain will support directly himself. For those of other faith traditions, the Chaplain will actively ensure that support is in place, as there is appetite within the College community. The Chaplain plays an important role in the pastoral care and wellbeing of the College, providing a spiritual and moral framework through Chapel services and assemblies. The Chaplain regularly takes assemblies and advises on spiritual matters, supporting pupils, staff and parents. The Wellbeing Programme provides opportunities for the pupils to reflect on their own faith, to think about their own spiritual development, and to more deeply appreciate the faith of others.
Medical Centre The Medical Centre is based in the centre of the campus and day pupils and boarders enjoy its safe, warm and friendly environment throughout term time. Staff ensure that pupils are treated, supported and listened to without judgement. Members of the Medical Centre also support with the delivery of lessons on sleep, sexual health, and First Aid. programme. We aim to create a circular system so that once our Year 9 mentees reach Year 12, they are well equipped with the knowledge, empathy, and resilience to become mentors themselves and give back to our school community. There are currently around 50 mentors in the Upper School, coaching pupils in the Middle School. The intention is for mentoring to become an entirely peer-led operation. Mentors are allocated a form with whom to build relationships and there is also a self-referral system where mentees can opt in to the process. Mentoring Through our mentoring programme, we aim to build a stronger community by establishing positive peer-to- peer relationships across the college. We provide training for our Year 12 mentors which is designed to improve communication, empathy, and self-esteem so that our pupils are better equipped in supporting their own wellbeing as well as others. Character education is at the forefront of our training ethos, with support from our Head of Wellbeing, School Counsellor, Safeguarding team and external training providers, the Year 12s embark on a comprehensive course which prepares them for the one-to-one support of their designated Year 9 mentee. Each mentor is linked to a Year 9 form group so that every pupil across the year group has access to the mentors training through regular form time visit. Building independence, leadership skills and supporting self-efficiency are all by-products of our mentoring
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The Yelcho Room The Yelcho Room is a drop-in space, open every break and lunchtime, where all students from year 7 to year 13 can access emotional support daily without having to book an appointment. It is located on the first floor of the medical centre and the team of Listening Staff are supervised by our Lead Counsellor.
Mindfulness At Dulwich College we deliver the MiSP (Mindfulness in Schools Partnership) qualification of .b in Years 7, 9 and 12. Following an introductory session, pupils are invited to attend a 10-week course in Mindfulness, run at lunchtimes. At its most simple .b is an awareness-raising exercise to give all pupils a taste of mindfulness so that they know about it and can return to it later in life if they choose to do so. aims to help young people: • To improve their concentration and focus, in classes, in exams and tests, on the sports field, when playing games, when paying attention and listening to others. • To fulfil their potential and pursue their own goals e.g., be more creative, more relaxed, both academically and personally. • To experience greater wellbeing (e.g., feel happier, calmer, more fulfilled). • To work with difficult mental states such as anxious thoughts and low moods. • To cope with the everyday stresses and strains of adolescent life such as exams, relationships, sleep problems, family issues.
Counselling We have a counselling team at the College who are available for all pupils from Ducks to Year 13. They are based on the first floor of the Medical Centre and pupils can book appointments Monday to Friday during term time. Through the opportunity to talk openly, freely and confidentially with a counsellor about difficulties and the feelings these can arouse, counselling supports wellbeing by encouraging personal insight, confidence and self-esteem, assertiveness, an ability to cope better in difficult circumstances and emotional awareness of self and others. It can also help improve relationships, communication, conflict resolution, help clarify confused thoughts and feelings and so aid personal development.
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Beyond the Curriculum
Co-curricular activities
The range of orchestras, ensembles and choirs enables students to play with other musicians and the increasing profile of music technology is opening yet more avenues to those with musical interests. Inter-house drama competitions ensure that all pupils can get involved in drama, with some being selected for the casts of College productions. The atmosphere that prevails within the Edward Alleyn Theatre, the PE Centre, the Music School or the Art & DT studios make these ideal places for many to find their niche and a little peace during a busy school day.
Outside the classroom, a broad range of co-curricular activities encourages pupils to make the most of school life. With more than 60 clubs and societies meeting regularly in the Senior School, the College tries to cater for all pupils’ individual interests and needs. These societies are driven by the pupils and can range from the academic to the altruistic. A society offers a pupil the chance to find and join people with similar interests, as well as another chance to befriend people in different year groups. The sheer number of sports teams ensures that pupils who want to represent the College can do so and House Big Side and Little Side competitions ensure competition is available to all.
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Service and Engagement: Charity and Community Action Each of the five sections of the College from DUCKS to Upper School actively support various charitable initiatives. Charity committees within each section of the College seek to embed the mantra: Embedding Values, Raising Awareness and Promoting Involvement. Our Community Action programme shares the aim of ensuring service lies at the heart of a Dulwich education. There are currently more than 25 volunteering projects run as part of the College’s Community Action Programme which are open to pupils in years 10-13. These generally fall into one of three genres: educational, environmental and social. Activities include providing extra support for pupils at local primary schools; visiting and helping residents at various care homes; supporting the work of foodbanks; and helping with gardening in various local parks and woods. Volunteers find the activities hugely rewarding; they play an important role in the personal development and wider education of the pupils and forge important links with our community. Pupils volunteer for approximately an hour each week – either at lunchtimes, after school or on Saturday mornings.
Careers The Careers and Higher Education Department is situated alongside the Upper School team in the Lord George Building. Together they encourage and support pupils as they consider life beyond Dulwich. The provision aims to equip pupils to assess their options as they are made aware of the many opportunities on offer to them. Research skills are taught, guidance is provided and pupils are prepared to make informed decisions for their future education and long- term aspirations. Staff encourage pupil-led, independent learning; the objective is not to tell them what they should do but to provide them with the tool kit they need to discover how to proceed and to succeed.
group, and the module in Year 11 is run alongside careers profiling (aptitudes and interests), with each pupil receiving a follow-up career guidance interview with an external adviser. Alongside this, pupils throughout the school are encouraged to drop in or contact the team if they have any careers or HE questions, and all pupils in Year 12 have a one-to-one interview with our in-house Careers Adviser. The Professional Insight Programme allows pupils to research and explore their options and evidence their interests in a variety of ways including visits, lectures, taster days, conferences and work experience, many of which are promoted via the weekly careers newsletter. This tailor-made provision, along with topical seminars, networking and careers events, and the annual HE Fair, is supported by our many external contacts.
To this end, pupils participate in Careers education, as part of Wellbeing lessons and form tutorials in each year
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Physical Wellbeing The College is proud to have developed an innovative Physical Wellbeing programme of study that identifies, unlocks and develops the pupils’ physical attributes. This underpins the intention to nurture in every pupil an enjoyment of being physically active, leading to the desire to engage in long-term and indeed life-long physical activity. We look to challenge pupils to make decisions based on morals as well as for goal orientated motivation; we aim to develop a culture of ‘do what is right, not what is right for me’.
Dulwich College has an outstanding culture of participation in a range of physical activities, most notably traditional games. Provision for these is outstanding. It has a new, and genuinely innovative, PE programme. – Neil Rollings (ICE Coach Education) From Year 3 onward, all pupils take part in termly physical testing. This is used to track and support their health and fitness progress during their time at the College. This allows physical education in Years 10 and 11 to be tailored to individual needs. Pupils will either work on developing their aerobic fitness, their anaerobic power and speed or their strength. For pupils who join us, or remain non or weak swimmers, we also offer the opportunity to develop in this area. There are strong cross-curricular links between our Physical Education programme and that of the College’s Wellbeing curriculum. There is a shared ethos that physical activity has a direct, positive impact on the pupils’ sense of wellbeing, whether it is running a mile or representing their country. The link between positive, resilient mind-sets and physical activity cannot be ignored. Physical activity also offers opportunities to develop socially, creates a sense of community, as well as providing pupils with an encouraging programme that can co-exist with their academic endeavours.
In the Junior School, in line with the Long Term Athletic Development Plan, we introduce pupils to an active start. This is achieved through structured units of work designed to develop essential fundamental movement skills and overall movement skills. This is delivered alongside dedicated weekly swimming lessons in Years 3 and 4 and two half termly blocks of swimming in Years 5 and 6. During Years 7 to 9 pupils are introduced to the theory as well as the practical ability to train as individuals and teams. This is initiated in Years 7 and 8 with units of work on Stability, Cardio Vascular Endurance, Muscular Endurance, and Reaction Times. In Year 9, we progress this with units of work on Core Lifts and Training Methods. Throughout these year groups, all our pupils again enjoy and benefit from a half term of swimming and water safety lessons.
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Creative Wellbeing Creativity can enhance personal and community wellbeing; help pupils to develop resilience and problem solving skills; be a way to meet new people with different perspectives and ideas; and be an encouragement to think about things differently. Creative Wellbeing often pushes us out of our comfort zones.
The College offers pupils many opportunities to explore their creative side — both through and beyond the curriculum. Activities and workshops revolve around both group activity and also the opportunity to explore our individuality through creating in isolation as well. There does not always need to be an outcome – pupils are encouraged to see it as a process and this helps with concentration, peacefulness and reflection whilst also creating challenges. The use of various materials and mediums provide different opportunities for engagement and expression. Many of the crafts are portable so the pupils are encouraged to continue the act of creativity wherever they are. Creative Wellbeing often requires pupils to focus
on a task that involves repetition and concentration. This also increases the ability to raise their spirits wherever they are and adopt a creative outlook to enhance their sense of wellbeing.
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Wellbeing in the College Libraries and Archives
The College Libraries and Archives play a significant role in supporting student (and staff) wellbeing by providing:
• Encouragement and support for pupils to develop and explore their own academic, intellectual and extra curricular interests • Book clubs for all ages that provide a friendly and relaxed environment for sharing an enjoyment of reading and a sense of community
• A friendly and welcoming place where students can find a quiet space away from the rigours of the classroom and a calm alternative to the playground and playing fields • A broad range of reading materials to support physical, spiritual and mental health including items on healthy living, improving sleep, emotional development, sexuality, and gender • Book selection that focuses on diversity and inclusion to ensure all pupils feel they are represented within the collection and are able to find relevant support and advice • Fiction and non-fiction books to encourage ‘readaxation’ – reading for pleasure with the proven benefits of improving language skills, developing empathy, and reducing stress
• A series of information literacy lessons that develop skills centring on wellbeing themes
• A pupil librarian scheme that allows pupils to contribute to the running of the libraries and develop social and inter-personal skills through working as part of a team • Volunteering opportunities in the Archive open up new areas of interest and gives the chance to work in teams from different year groups • Staff in a unique position to see pupils outside of lessons and identify / seek support for pupils experiencing pastoral support such as loneliness or bullying
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College Campus and Wellbeing Wellbeing We invite our pupils to explore the powerful benefits of nature for our mental health through the different areas around our campus. How we interact with, live amongst, and care for nature can enhance our empathy, creativity, sense of wonder, calmness, reflections, physical, emotional and mental health – our wellbeing.
Wellbeing LandEscape Locations Readaxation The Wodehouse Library, Barry Building The Raymond Chandler Library, Lower School Physical Wellbeing Sports Centre/Swimming Pool, All Weather Pitch Connecting with Nature Memorial Gardens, Old Library reflective area (behind Old Library by the Main Gate) College Gardens circular walk (College Road side) Wildflower Walk along the western perimeter
of the playing fields (by Alleyn Park) Quiet and Contemplation Barry Building, Old Library reflective area (behind Old Library by the Main Gate)
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