Fostering a culture of wellbeing

Tracey Gray, External Relations at Merchiston Castle School, says that wellbeing is much more than a ‘buzzword’...

“When a youngster feels a sense of belonging and feels known, then that youngster has wings and can soar. In the development of that ‘confidence thing’, what underpins everything that we are doing at Merchiston is trying to find that hidden nugget of ability and to develop those hidden nuggets of ability. I am convinced that that “confidence thing” is a very, very important human feeling. This, again, is at the core of Merchiston’s ethos, and is something that we work on with every pupil on a daily basis. This includes: valuing them, listening to them and respecting their rights, for each child has the right to express their views about matters affecting them and have their views taken into account according to age, maturity and understanding.”

Andrew Hunter, Headmaster, Merchiston

The boarding school environment of the past, where pastoral care might not have been at the top of the list of priorities, thankfully, no longer overshadows boarding in the UK. Indeed, the UK’s most forward-thinking schools now refer to pastoral care as pupil support. Over recent years, all types of schools, from academic hothouses to the performing arts, specialists to the sporting giants, have placed significant investment in creating a nurturing and supportive environment with the wellbeing of pupils being central to schools’ ethos and underpinning all a school does.

With the choice of school being perhaps the most important decision you as a family can make, choosing a school with an effective commitment to pupil wellbeing is critical, even more so for families making their first transition into junior boarding. After all, does every parent not wish to give their child the building blocks to become lifelong learners and to celebrate success throughout their lifetime?

In the early years of childhood, and especially through the junior years of education, a child’s achievement in learning is closely linked to health and wellbeing. The cognitive, emotional physical and social elements of a pupil’s life cannot realistically be viewed individually. What happens in one area will affect what happens in one or more of the others. This is why the partnership between home and school is so important. As Andrew Hunter, Headmaster of Merchiston, Edinburgh says: “The magic roundabout of two relationships should exist; firstly, the relationship between the pupils and their ‘persons of warmth’ in and out of the classroom, and secondly, the relationship between school and the home of every pupil.”

Schools with excellent pupil support should be able to easily and clearly demonstrate how wellbeing is part of the curriculum. Teachers should be more akin to trusted advisors, coaches, guides, gurus, mentors, sages and most important of all, persons of warmth. Let’s face it, pupils thrive in environments where teachers are interested in them, care for them and are trustworthy, allowing them the confidence to raise concerns about wellbeing and safety in the knowledge that they will be listened to sensitively and every effort made to assist appropriately. All staff in a school should have a responsibility to listen to and promote the child or young person’s voice.

The staff structure of a boarding school nearly always requires teachers to lead co-curricular activities, which provide opportunities for both pupil and teacher to bond outside the classroom; a better, more solid relationship out of the classroom leads to a better rapport and increased engagement in the classroom.

A strong partnership between home and school should also exist to ensure continuity of expectations. Values like courtesy, humility, honour, integrity, perseverance; and life skills and attributes such as being measured, reflective, self-aware, adaptable, flexible and re-trainable should be consistently reinforced. Pupil support is not only the remit of the staff and parents: cultivating open, responsive communication between staff, pupils, parents and the whole school environment is key to wellbeing and protection. Junior schools with linked senior schools benefit from the added advantage of being able to run ‘big brother’ schemes in which senior pupils mentor their younger counterparts.

The modern school Head will ensure that at the heart of creating a positive school environment is the principle of taking care of their people; a place where teachers are appreciated, engaged, productive and thriving. Smiling staff that portray a positive attitude at all times can only uplift pupils and enhance pupil motivation to help create that ‘I can do’ attitude.

Junior boarding schools also allow pupils at a young age to become part of a community where they can develop the skills to contribute to an increasingly global society.

So, to conclude, ‘wellbeing’ is summed up in eight words that describe different aspects of what it means when things are going well for a child or young person – whether they are ‘safe’; ‘healthy’; ‘achieving’; ‘nurtured’; ‘active’; ‘respected’; ‘responsible’ and ‘included’. Look out for pupils during your school tour who look happy and engaged with a sense of purpose, and convey to you that they have a belief that they can succeed in whatever they do.

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