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Wellbeing & Pastoral Care

We are by their side, every step of the way.

At Akeley Wood School we know that student wellbeing is the key to a flourishing life. Our school vision and values underpin life at the school and our experienced pastoral and staff team are here to support your child in their school journey.

We have invested time in working towards creating an environment where Character Education is at the heart of all that we do in school.

Junior Wellbeing Initiatives

In our Junior school we look after the wellbeing of our students with a network of pastoral initiatives:
  • A daily wellbeing check in with students during morning form time, to help identify any problems and worries that children may be experiencing.

  • A cuddly 'Worry Monster' accessible to our younger children with a handy zip up mouth for all of their written worries to go into! Teachers check the worry monster regularly and talk to children about how they are feeling.

  • A weekly Celebration Assembly in which children who have received recognition for excellent behaviour and academics are celebrated by the whole school.

  • Dedicated members of staff throughout the school who are part of the G2T2 (go to talk to) initiative. These members of staff wear special badges so students know that they are always on hand should they need support or someone to talk to.

  • 1:1 support, Nurture groups and S.E.A.L (social emotional aspects of learning) sessions are offered to children who may need extra pastoral support and regular wellbeing check ins.

  • Our teachers regularly use wellbeing resources from the fantastic website, gonoodle.com to highlight the importance of subjects such as nutrition, inclusion and diversity, mindfulness and mental health and the outdoors and environment.

Senior Wellbeing Initiatives

In our Senior school and AW6 campus, we ensure we look after the wellbeing of our students with a network of pastoral initiatives:
  • A Character Education curriculum that we tailor towards the needs of our young people and community.

  • Established morning routines including assemblies linked to our Core Values - Kindness, Charity, Respect & Resilience.

  • A weekly celebration of successes and a wellbeing check-in.

  • A highly experienced and dedicated pastoral team.

  • Wellbeing student ambassadors across all year groups.

  • A 30-minute session every Friday afternoon where students complete a reflection journal, based on their experiences that week.

  • Access to a school counsellor.

  • A Life Learning curriculum that is flexible to the needs of our young people, whilst aligned with the statutory PSHE requirements.

  • Access for every senior school and sixth form family to a huge range of wellbeing resources, webinars, podcasts and much more via The Wellbeing Hub at teentips.co.uk

Character education.

Character Education is a term used to describe the curriculum and activities that help learners (young and old) develop ethical values and virtues. It focusses on certain key pillars, including respect, responsibility, fairness, citizenship and civic virtue, trustworthiness, and caring - as demonstrated through empathy and compassion. 

Using this template, we are at the beginning of a journey that will enable our students to become more reflective young people and, ultimately, citizens who will be able to contribute positively to their society; a society in which we support each other and grow together.

Character Education prepares students to 'Live well in a world worth living in.'

– Professor James Arthur OBE, Director of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues