STUDENT WELLBEING AND MENTAL HEALTH
St George’s School takes pride in being a happy and caring community in which the welfare of each child comes first and all members of the community are valued and respected. Fundamental to this are special working relationships built up between our children, staff and parents.
Mental Health
We are proud of our pioneering approach to mental health. A dedicated mental health team, all of whom are fully trained, oversee a school-wide approach designed to enable open discussion, awareness and support.
St George’s were one of the first schools to adopt a comprehensive mindfulness programme for all students from Kindergarten upwards. Daily brain breaks, sessions about our brains, and mindfulness practice sits at the heart of our wellbeing programme.
Parents are offered mental health training, which alongside a series of talks and workshops, bring about increased awareness to support young people. Our wellbeing hub offers a safe space for our students to talk freely, and Olive, our school dog, has been a welcome addition to the team.
Student development
From Kindergarten to Year 6 (ages 3 – 11), student development and wellbeing is closely monitored by the class teacher. In Years 7 – 8 (ages 11 – 13) the Form Tutor meets with students twice a day.
The House system is made up of four Houses who formally meet every third week, creating opportunities for students to mix across a broader age range, become ‘buddies’, take on specific House responsibilities and share personal achievements. The mentoring scheme, in which Year 8 students are assigned to specific class groups, affords another level of interaction for these students in the process of their social development.
Assemblies and PSHE lessons do much to address some of the complex issues which children face in today’s society and they are encouraged to talk to an adult about anything that may be concerning them.
Student voice
Student voice is key: everyone at St George’s plays a part in making sure that students are supported, listened to and feel valued. Form Tutors, Class Teachers and Heads of House play a significant role in being the key contacts for students and parents, allowing issues to be picked up early and dealt with quickly. Staff meet regularly to share concerns and strategies and issues are dealt with sensitively and consistently.
WHAT OTHERS SAY
