At King’s High, we are wholeheartedly committed to the highest standards of holistic education, ensuring that a supportive culture of wellbeing is fully embedded into the lived daily experiences of our students.
This helps our students to develop lifelong practices and routines that enable them to enjoy rich and flourishing lives both in school and beyond it.
our wellbeing ethos
We are proud of our excellent work in promoting and prioritising the wellbeing of every student, enabling them to navigate today’s society and overcome challenges it may present.
The core aim of our wellbeing ethos is to foster an enriching and uplifting culture of wellbeing for students and staff, actively promoting self-awareness and understanding, positive mental health, and emotional wellbeing throughout the school.
The culture of wellbeing at King’s High is centred on the 5 Ways to Wellbeing: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, and Give. We also centre our approach around the understanding that a culture of wellbeing, connection and belonging is core to nurturing balanced, happy and successful students who are able to thrive to meet their individual potential as outlined in Maslow’s hierarchy model.
wellbeing programme
Our wellbeing programme is promoted and developed throughout all areas of school life, but specifically addresses the following areas:
Our Curriculum
Our PSHEE, Springboard, and Your Future programmes cover a wide range of age-appropriate topics, including friendships, healthy relationships, preventing bullying, habits of happiness, mindfulness, resilience, growth mindsets, mental health, sexual health, financial literacy, online safety and literacy, and careers aspirations.
Our Co-Curricular Opportunities
With over 260 clubs and activities offered weekly at lunchtime and after school, all students have opportunities to discover new interests and further develop existing ones. Any activity can enhance a student’s wellbeing and, with so much on offer – from sports, music, crafts, drama, and volunteering, to pop-up clubs for walking or cookery, or simply relaxing in The Oasis Space – students are encouraged to create balance in their lives.
Form Time
During form time, tutors carefully monitor and support the wellbeing of each tutee. Regular one-to-one meetings enable deep understanding of and connection with each individual. Form times prepare our school community for a day of learning by creating opportunities for relational connection, engagement with real-world events, as well as a wealth of opportunities for movement, fun, joy, and play across all ages and stages, including silent discos, Just Dance, wellbeing walks, and form-based connection, community, and charity activities.
whole school events
King’s High is very proud of our culture of changemaking and our engagement with the world. To this end, we enjoy an expansive programme facilitating engagement with national and global events. To name a few, we engage with Mental Health Awareness Week, Anti-Bullying Week, Neurodiversity Week, Thank a Teacher Day, as well as our growing programme of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion events, opening up discussion and celebration of the dignity of difference within our community of all faiths, races, and identities.
We celebrate wellbeing and cultural diversity through our annual festivals. The Festival of Wellbeing provides opportunities for guest speakers and a range of pop-up events designed around the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, culminating in a glorious Fair in our school quads that unites the school community in joy and connection. Our Festival of Faith and Culture marks the end of the school year with a whole-school celebration of the cultural identities represented in our community. It is a vibrant showcase of colour, music, dance, and food, celebrating our pride in who we are.
Peer support is exceptionally valuable within our community, creating and fostering connections across year groups and Key Stages. It provides opportunities for senior students to offer wisdom, kindness, and guidance to younger pupils. This support may take the form of an informal listening ear, as a “Big Sister,” or more structured engagement with our Sixth Form Restore Mentors, who are trained in techniques of restorative practice.
our school sites
Library resources
The library houses dedicated collections of fiction and non-fiction relating to wellbeing.
Dedicated wellbeing areas
The Oasis Space provides a calm and tranquil space for students at any time of the day. We also have a Quiet Zone, situated outside the library, for independent or small-group study.
Play
Our school site has designated areas for play and fun, including a disc golf course, table tennis tables, and table football, to encourage connection and a focus on fun.
Peace Pod
Our outdoor Peace Pod presents a space for quietude, peace, and tranquillity, and celebrates the languages and faiths which make our community unique and diverse.
king’s pets
Our school dogs, Parsnip and Moose, are also on hand to support our students. Research shows that the presence of a calm, mellow canine companion can help reduce stress and positively impact observable signs of anxiety, such as heart rate and blood pressure. We also have two school geckos who reside in our Science Department.
Our Happy Hens Club facilitates a hands-on approach to caring for our school chickens, fostering community values, and animal care.
For external support, we are able to recommend a wide variety of organisations. The organisations listed below have been recommended by King’s High staff, as well as by external professionals and partners.
For links to external support for mental health and wellbeing, see below.
