Wellbeing at Felsted School

Posted: 15 April 2019

Discoveries

• Communication skills
• Self-awareness
• Compassion

Curriculum areas

• PSHE,
• Mindfullness,
• Counselling

Age range

Whole school

About

Felsted has recently developed its wellbeing facilities and expertise and has embarked on an initiative to engage the whole school community in activities designed to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining good mental health. Our aim is to support and promote the wellbeing and good mental health of all our stakeholders, which includes pupils, staff and parents. We aim to create a culture of awareness of mental health needs, with no stigma or discrimination, providing high quality mental health training for staff, pupils and parents.

Planning

Felsted’s Deputy Head, Counselling & Wellbeing, Karen Megahey, and her team monitor the effectiveness of the school’s active wellbeing services throughout the school year with rigorous and ongoing assessments. Affective Social (AS) Tracking, Mental First Aid Training, PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education), Counselling and Peer Counselling were all assessed and found to be well above the required standard.

Activity

All pupils from Year 7 upwards are introduced to the Wellbeing Centre through timetabled Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) lessons and activities associated with wellbeing, such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga and pilates. Younger pupils may use the Centre for counselling services, including peer counselling, one to one therapy and creative therapies such as art, sand play and play therapy.

Staff, senior pupils and parents also have the opportunity to sign up to Mental Health First Aid Training with one of Felsted’s two instructors, held on a regular basis to improve the emotional literacy of the community. 80 Sixth Formers are now trained in MHFA and 70 members of staff.

Challenges

One of the key aims is to challenge the stigma and discrimination around mental health problems. Seeking help for emotional distress should be seen in the same way as seeking medical help for a physical ailment or academic support when a student is struggling with their work. There are already signs of pupils accessing the wellbeing team at an earlier stage, but this remains a priority for us.

Impact

Actively supporting wellbeing and promoting a culture of positive psychology contributes to pupils feeling good about themselves and each other, enabling them to function and perform at their best. Healthy levels of confidence, self-esteem and resilience enable children to make the most of opportunities and deal with difficult situations.

Long term outcomes

Future plans will see all Felsted teachers trained in Mental Health First Aid, and a range of external speakers will be used to deliver key messages for Felsted pupils and staff. The care of each and every pupil remains the priority for Felsted School, and it is hugely encouraging to see this recognised.

The school has made significant investment in its wellbeing provision in recent years. A dedicated Wellbeing Centre was officially opened in April 2018 by former Felsted pupil Dr Simon Walker and his wife Dr Jo Walker, who have developed the online AS tracking assessment, which is now accessed by every senior school boarder twice a year to help assess their mental health needs. The Centre is a hub for the school’s wellbeing activities and is shared across both Felsted Senior School and Prep School, caring for over 1000 pupils, 300 staff and parents.

In recognition of their efforts towards wellbeing, Felsted have been awarded the Optimus Education Wellbeing Award.

Advice

• It is important for the whole school community to be fully behind a project such as this, including house parents, SLT and governors. Key staff need to be assigned to contribute to the planning and vision
• Line management and supervision of counsellors, ensuring that the service remains effective and ethical is essential. The head of the service and the team all need to have the appropriate qualifications and experience.
• It needs to be understood that the service will need to constantly evolve and adapt to the changing needs of the whole school community.

Author: Karen Megahey, Deputy Head, Counselling & Wellbeing, Felsted School