Student Health and Wellbeing
The health and wellbeing of all our students are at the centre of everything we do. Experience has taught us that when boarders are settled and happy both in and outside the classroom, they tend to be more productive learners and progress more quickly in their studies as a result. The School’s Assistant Head (International) Francoise Armstrong is also the Director of Boarding and has overall responsibility for ensuring the safety, health and happiness of our international students, and provides the crucial link between the boarding house, school and parents. This means that we know our international students extremely well and are able to consistently advise and support them with their specific educational and pastoral needs, at the same time as always being on hand to communicate with parents. We believe we have created a vibrant learning environment for international students in which they feel safe, secure, listened to and valued.
We understand that parents trust us with their most cherished possession so we take the health and wellbeing of all of our students extremely seriously. Highlights include:
- Assistant Head (International) and Director of Boarding is a dual role, providing a crucial link between school life and boarding experience.
- Over 50% of the boarding staff reside on the premises and are on call day and night.
- A team of visiting teachers assist students with their homework and ensure continuity with school work.
- Dedicated Matron who deals with issuing medication, looking after sick students and taking boarders to medical appointments.
- Matrons work in close collaboration with the school nurse who visits each boarding house weekly.
- Highly experienced, dedicated Safeguarding team trained to recognise even the smallest pastoral concerns.
- Tutor and House system works in conjunction with Safeguarding team to ensure the highest standards of student care and support.
- Maintained balance of organised activities and downtime for relaxation.
- House system aids and promotes student integration and students’ sense of belonging.
- We encourage open and transparent school / parent relationships.
Virtual Health Centre
The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on our daily lives and mental health has been significant. As a school, we recognise how valuable our community is in supporting students’ wellbeing, and providing them with the valuable social moments that make life so enjoyable.
Therefore we have made it our priority to try and recreate these moments for our students, and put extra support mechanisms in place for when they are needed. In the first week of tutor time, our students completed a task called ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ which helped them develop a personalised support plan for the coming weeks, focusing on screen time, exercise regimes and staying connected. Each day our students are asked to complete a Wellbeing Survey, where they rank their emotions on a scale of 1-10. Their Heads of House and tutors are then able to track how they are doing, pick up on worrying trends, and step in to offer support and guidance if necessary. Daily tutor time offers the students an academic-free, social interaction with their peers, time to laugh and stay connected – the best of tonics! Should students need further support they can book in a slot to speak to either the school nurse, or the Head of Student Welfare, whose role it is to reassure, offer advice or signpost to outside professionals if necessary.
