Emotional Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing (HWB) at Biggar High School
Vision
Our vision for Health and Wellbeing at Biggar High School: to remove barriers and to put in place necessary supports to enable each member of the school community to achieve their fullest potential (by ensuring that they are safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included)
Emotional Wellbeing
Our Health & Wellbeing provision contributes to the emotional wellbeing of our pupils by enabling them to:
- make informed decisions in order to improve their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing.
- experience challenge and enjoyment.
- learn effectively and prepare for successful independent living
- experience positive aspects of healthy living and activity for themselves.
- apply their mental, emotional, social and physical skills to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
- make a successful move to the next stage of education or work.
- establish a pattern of health and wellbeing which will be sustained into adult life, and which will help to promote the health and wellbeing of the next generation of Scottish children.
Universal Support
Universal support refers to the support that all young people receive
Universal support starts with the ethos, climate and relationships within every learning environment. It is the responsibility of all practitioners and partners.
An environment which is caring, inclusive, fair and focused on delivering learning to meet individual needs will encourage all children and young people to strive to meet their learning potential.
Personal learning planning is at the heart of supporting learning. The conversations about learning, reviewing progress and planning next steps are central to this process. Planned opportunities for achievement which focus on the learning and progress made through activities across the full range of contexts and settings in which the curriculum is experienced also contribute to the universal aspect of support.
In addition, all children and young people should have frequent and regular opportunities to discuss their learning and development with an adult who knows them well and with whom they have a mutually trusting relationship. This key member of staff has the holistic overview of the child or young person’s learning and personal development.
https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/Support%20for%20all
All Adults working in Biggar High School
- Everyone within our school community, whatever their contact with our pupils may be, contributes to the creation of a positive ethos and climate of respect and trust – one in which everyone can make a positive contribution to the wellbeing of each individual within the school and the wider community.
- We all strive to establish open, positive, supportive relationships across the school community, where our pupils feel they are listened to and where we take account of their views and experiences, particularly where decisions are to be made that may impact on life choices.
Principal Teachers (Pupil Support)
- Each pupil is a member of a school house, led by their identified Principal Teacher of Pupil Support. This PT remains their key contact throughout their years at Biggar High School
- As far as possible, PSE is delivered by our PTs (Pupil Support) in classes of maximum 20 pupils from their house groups. This provides the necessary environment for the development of a mutually trusting relationship between the young person and their teacher. It also facilitates early identification of possible issues & early intervention where appropriate.
- Our PSE programme includes input on maintaining good emotional wellbeing and signposts of where help can be sought when required
Targeted Support
Targeted support is the additional support provided for individual pupils or groups of pupils, based on need.
Children and young people can benefit from additional or targeted support, tailored to their individual circumstances. This could be at any points of their learning journey or throughout the journey.
Barriers to learning may arise from specific learning difficulties, disability, social, emotional or behavioural needs, bereavement or family issues. Additional support may also be required to ensure progress in learning for the gifted and able, looked after children and young people, young carers, Gypsies and Travellers, asylum seekers and those for whom English is not a first language.
Targeted support also encompasses children and young people requiring more choices and more chances to achieve positive, sustained post-school destinations.
This ‘targeted’ support is usually, but not exclusively, delivered by staff with additional training and expertise. In a secondary school, this support may be coordinated by guidance/pastoral care/pupil support staff through a staged intervention process.
All Adults working in Biggar High School
- are aware that pupils may have a variety of needs at different points in their school career
- are sensitive to changes in pupil demeanour, behaviour, attitudes etc. which may be an early indicator of the need for support with Emotional Wellbeing
- use agreed Cause for Concern procedures to inform PT (Pupil Support) of these concerns so that they can be addressed, if necessary.
Principal Teachers (Pupil Support)
- have a close understanding of the personality and context of each of the pupils in their house group
- provide an increased level of 1 to 1 support where a need has been identified, listening to the young person and providing ongoing support as required
- liaise with parents / carers
- point young people and their families to alternative sources of support as appropriate
- refer to and liaise with outside agencies e.g. social work, CAMHS, Kear Campus etc. completing the necessary assessments
Other identified staff
- We have a number of staff who have had additional training (e.g. Scottish Mental Health First Aid, Give us a Break etc.) and some experience in supporting young people who are experiencing difficulties with Emotional Wellbeing.
- These staff work with individuals or small groups as recommended and agreed by the PT (Pupil Support), the young person and their parent / carer.
Partnership Working
In order to provide targeted support for Emotional Wellbeing, we work closely with
- Kear Campus Outreach
- Youth, Family & Community Service
- NHS
- Children and Adolescents’ Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Our provision of Universal and Targeted support, our close liaison with parents/carers and our strong partnership working with other agencies enables us to support our young people with their Emotional Wellbeing as they progress through Biggar High School and their teenage years.
https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/Support%20for%20all