Wellbeing

The pressure on children and young people has never been greater. At Watson’s we know that our pupils will only succeed if they have an environment and the personal support to enable them to thrive.

That is why the mental and physical wellbeing of our pupils is such a priority throughout their educational journey with us. 

As one of the first schools in the country to be fully accredited as a Gold Rights Respecting School by UNICEF, our approach to wellbeing is firmly based on the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). These emphasise the importance of giving pupils a voice in their education and wellbeing, listening to what they have to say and acting upon it.

Our wellbeing strategies run through all aspects of our lessons and assemblies. We provide access to specialist advice and counselling services, unique whole-school events such as “Feelgood February” and generally encourage healthy attitudes to issues including eating, exercise, competition and relationships. We embrace opportunities to be frank and open about the mental health challenges that everyone faces from time to time.

Working with parents and carers, we aim to help our pupils build their resilience and enable them to cope with the change, success and disappointment that they will inevitably encounter in their lives at school and beyond.

Wellbeing in the Junior School

As children progress through the Junior School, their mental and emotional wellbeing is supported in ways that are specifically catered for their age and stage of life. Class teachers have the prime responsibility for ensuring the health and wellbeing of the pupils in the class, but they have access to specialist support from colleagues, including our own Educational Psychologist.

Our Wellbeing Hub is staffed by registered nurses and has a dedicated ‘wellbeing room’, a space where pupils can go if they are feeling overwhelmed and need a quiet time away from the classroom.

We also have two highly-successful programmes - Building Resilience & Skipper for pupils, and Raising Children with Confidence for parents, which form the cornerstone of our wellbeing support. The character of Skipper has become a well-loved figure within the Junior School as he helps to teach children in assemblies and classes how to cope with the ups and downs of life.

Once every year, the entire Junior School also comes together for a week of collaborative learning and engagement centred around promoting good mental health and wellbeing.