Wellbeing
At Bassaleg School. We encourage kindness and resilience. We are proud of our young people and the ways in which they so brilliantly support each other. Young people are encouraged to recognise changes in their own wellbeing and are introduced to a range of approaches and strategies to enable them to support themselves. We also recognise that there are times when our strength and resilience is low. As a school community, we are all committed to supporting wellbeing and to offering a range of internal and external support where appropriate.
We have built our mental health agenda over time – we have a Mental Health Council to ensure that our young people have a voice regarding this important focus area. A vast array of interventions are also in place to support those most in need, but all school community members - young people, parents and carers and the school staff receive wellbeing and mental health support and awareness raising opportunities to ensure that they have the relevant skills to manage their own emotions and feelings.
Our large school staff are all members of the wellbeing team, but we do have a number of non-teaching staff who are specifically trained to support our young people, identifying their needs and offering appropriate, bespoke interventions. They work alongside the Director/Deputy Director/Assistant Director of Wellbeing who are attached to each year group, ensuring that there is effective support and guidance for all those in their care.
Five ways to Wellbeing
‘The Five Ways to Wellbeing’ sit at our core and is shared with all of our young people. Our school works very closely with a wide variety of outside agencies and interventions that provide a comprehensive range of support:
One to one meetings, counselling sessions, resilience building, group sessions, whole year group training on mental health, LGBT+, ‘saying No to racism’, antibullying, substance misuse, self-harm etc.
We also have a very strong and positive relationship with Newport Mind, who are heavily involved with various Mental Health initiatives and this year we have funded Toby Groves, our Newport Mind Mental Health Practitioner to be part of our staff and to be based on site for three days a week. Toby is supporting our young people and staff who are also able to meet with him for one to one sessions. Toby, with other team members from Mind engage with our parents and carers with Mental Health virtual and face to face meetings to offer guidance and raise awareness on various topics, offering strategies to help them support themselves and their child.
Wellbeing Curriculum
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Our Wellbeing curriculum, which includes the statutory provision of RVE and RSE, offers learners the opportunity to explore a range of topical issues, providing learner experiences that are relatable and authentic.
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Learners are encouraged to look at issues through an objective, critical and pluralistic lens, enabling them to recognise and appreciate diversity and equality.
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Lessons cover hard-hitting topics designed to meet the specific needs of learners in Bassaleg through equipping them with the tools they need to respond to issues they may face both in their daily lives and their future selves.
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Topics are studied as part of a spiral curriculum where each year builds on the learning of the previous, re-exploring topics in more depth, giving learners appropriate space and time to creatively consider their own place in the world and how issues may affect them.
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We further support our wellbeing curriculum with talks from external agencies and also provide opportunities for leaners to discuss DACWs, news events and key concepts in safe environment every morning with their personal tutors during Barod.
