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Wellbeing and pastoral care are at the heart of what we do at St Swithun’s. We strive to create an environment in which all girls can flourish, whatever their unique tapestry of strengths and interests. |
We believe that girls who are happy and healthy are much more likely to achieve their goals and aspirations. Our ethos is based on our founding values of humilitas, caritas and sinceritas and we encourage everyone in our community to interact in a kind, positive and meaningful way.
Our aim is to educate our students about how to look after themselves and to develop relevant self-care strategies. We want them to be aware of when they are struggling; to have strategies that they can use and to have the confidence to speak to someone when they may need extra help.
AWARD-WINNING PASTORAL CARE
We are delighted that in January 2023 our focus on wellbeing and pastoral care was recognised by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, who awarded us the Gold standard, the highest level, for outstanding mental health and wellbeing provision.
#BEEWELL
#BeeWell is a programme that aims to understand the issues that matter to young people through an annual wellbeing survey delivered to secondary schools. The results are anonymised and combined so that schools, voluntary agencies, local government and health can act on what young people are saying and make positive change.
Data from 22,000 students who completed the #BeeWell survey in 2023 across 82 secondary schools in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton (HIPS) are included in the report.
Key Findings 2023/24
Year 10
- • Top scoring school for life satisfaction; school connection: relationships with staff
Year 8
- • Top scoring school for psychological wellbeing (optimism); school connection; friendships and social support
PASTORAL PROGRAMME
| POSITIVE EDUCATION |
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Our innovative and unique Positive Education programme begins as soon as students join the school in Year 7. It focuses on developing optimism and resilience and helps coach students in the principles of positive psychology. Through it they are equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to embrace challenge, change and opportunity and to enable them to sustain their wellbeing and mental toughness, despite life’s inevitable setbacks and adversities. This programme was shortlisted by the TES for pupil mental health initiative of the year. We devised our programme in consultation with experts in the field of Positive Education, including pioneering schools in Australia and key individuals, such as Professor Martin Seligman. Our focus on feeling good, doing good and functioning well, plays a key part in helping students at St Swithun’s to flourish, both within school and beyond. The Positive Education curriculum covers six wellbeing domains and is underpinned by a focus of each individual's unique character strengths. |
| THRIVE (PSHE) |
| The PSHE (personal, social, health, and economic education) curriculum at St Swithun’s, known as Thrive, is a developmental programme that aims to help our students understand themselves and the world around them. It contributes to their personal development by encouraging them to engage in debate, build empathy, value difference and challenge bias. We constantly review and tailor our curriculum to ensure that it equips students to live healthy, safe, productive, responsible and balanced lives, both in school and beyond. |
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