Wellbeing at BISP continues to remain a key focus of the school and our community. Helping our students to thrive and flourish in their lives whilst acknowledging that there will be difficult times of struggle continues to be our mantra. Developing interventions and educational programs to help support this mission is constantly being researched, refined and then applied. The world of positive psychology is an ever evolving science and one in which we are constantly learning from researchers, critical friends and renowned leaders in the field.
As a school, we have continued to manage our own strategy and introduce a new mindset as well as develop our own capacity as an organisation to provide a safe environment in which our students flourish. It is important to recognise that we have to set a framework whereby students are educated about this aspect of their lives, but are ultimately responsible for the decisions they make. Whilst we can educate, intervene and support, we are developing a culture that asks students to lead, take responsibility and speak up about key issues that arise during challenging adolescent years.
The Wellbeing Framework continues to deliver age-appropriate sessions that cover the Engage, Relate and Shine principles of Wellbeing. This includes a broad range of topics: Personal Development strategies; managing emotions; managing friendships; managing technology & social media; awareness of addictive substances; sexual health; personal identity and preparing for university and the real world. We continue to try and make the delivery varied and to utilise our community for inspiration and expertise.
Mindfulness and Coaching remain key intervention strategies to support students when life becomes challenging and to teach preventative habits along the way. Experiencing short moments of calm during the day is becoming more common in order to recognise when we need to pause, take a breath and be less reactive. Coaching gives students the opportunity to help talk through challenges and achieve goals with teachers who act as coaches and mentors.
Student Leadership remains the vehicle to build leadership opportunities and create a system of Student Voice. This strategic model of students leading Wellbeing working groups and House Teams establishes a platform for students to engage in their experiences and shape the opportunities and experiences for the entire student body. Celebrating the successes of the entire community remains a key ambition of the school and is one we are very proud of.
The school is constantly looking to normalise the emotional experience of students. We are confident that talking about difficult issues and recognising all emotions are both valid and necessary. The attention to emotional health is built around the need for students to understand this themselves and to be aware of safe positive strategies they can access when facing difficulties. The school feels strongly that talking to professional and key adults, as well as parents, is fundamental in ensuring students build their own resilience and strategies in order to cope with the wide range of challenges faced at this confusing yet also exciting time in their lives.
In order for our young people to lead happy, confident and meaningful lives we must continue to work hard as a community to have difficult conversations, build trust and educate about a whole plethora of issues; we develop a toolkit of strategies and top tips which can be nurtured and drawn upon throughout the life of a BISP student and well into their adult lives.