Body, Mind and Soul
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'
Wellbeing at St George’s Church of England Foundation School is built firmly on our Christian ethos and values. It is about valuing the whole person and ensuring we all have the skills to overcome the challenges we face as students, staff or family.
Please find information below regarding our provision for mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. St George’s CE Foundation School is a Headstart Kent school, which is a preventative programme for 10 to 16 year olds to help improve emotional resilience. It has one mission: To equip young people to deal better with difficult circumstances. More information about the programme can be found online by visiting HeadStart Kent, where there are dedicated areas for young people and parents/carers, with helpful guidance and resources.
As this is an area we are continuing to develop, please feel free to email firstname.lastname@example.org to give your views. Please feel free to comment on: what we are doing well; what you would like to see more of; any initiatives that you have seen elsewhere you would like us to consider.
Public Health England has indicated that:
- Pupils with better health and wellbeing are likely to achieve better academically.
- Effective social and emotional competencies are associated with greater health and wellbeing, and better achievement.
- The culture, ethos and environment of a school influences the health and wellbeing of pupils and their readiness to learn
- There is a positive association exists between academic attainment and physical activity levels of pupils.
Taking care of our bodies is an important part of supporting our mental and spiritual health. Alongside PE within the curriculum, students are encouraged to take care of their diet and exercise. Recently this has been through tutor time, encouraging students to make wise choices in these areas.
'Today nearly a third of children aged 2 to 15 are overweight or obese and younger generations are becoming obese at earlier ages and staying obese for longer.'National Childhood Obesity Strategy, HM Government 2016
The Obesity Strategy also states that long-term, sustainable change will only be achieved through the active engagement of schools, communities, families and individuals. These statements are one of many reasons which demonstrate how imperative it is that schools are supporting their pupils in their wider development such as living a healthy active lifestyle.
Supporting students through issues of mental-wellbeing is becoming a key priority in many schools. At St George’s we have a strong pastoral structure, which seeks to support students in the first instance. We also work with several external agencies and organisations. We have recently linked with Headstart Kent, who support 10-16 year olds to cope better with pressures of everyday life. Headstart are working with St George’s to develop the provision and support for our young people.
We are also proactive with regards mental health, promoting mindfulness as one of several strategies that students (and staff) can use to become more resilient and able to deal with the challenges they may face. Several staff also have mental health first aid training and we encourage pupils to reflect on mental health as part of the wider PSHE curriculum covered through tutor times, visitors and extra-curricular sessions.
A link which may be useful for parents : Click Here
Ensuring the spiritual well-being of the individual is a fundamental part of life at our school. This considers the wider life of the individual regardless of religious affiliation.
Pastoral support is offered through various sources, including the Christian Ethos Co-ordinator, who supports staff and students. Clergy from several local churches can also provide support for students, staff and families and can be contact directly, or through the school.
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