Student Wellbeing

Student wellbeing is central to our work at Chobham.  We want our students to be physically and emotionally healthy and resilient.  We want them to be happy at school, secure and confident.  To accomplish these aspirations, we aim to provide the best possible environment for our students at school whilst developing skills and dispositions which will help them to be happy in all aspects of their lives.

To this end, we have some guiding principles which apply to all of our interactions with students at Chobham:

• All of our students are known as individuals and entitled to individual time and attention.  In particular, we expect teachers to know their students as individuals and plan for their needs accordingly.  Form tutors are also central to our approach and will take a keen interest in monitoring and supporting the students in their tutor groups.
• All members of staff at Chobham take an interest in our students.  Conversations between students and staff are a regular feature of our breaks and lunchtimes.  As a result, relationships at the school are excellent.  A consequence of this is that we usually find out very quickly about any issues which are affecting students’ wellbeing so we can address them for both individuals and groups.
• We take time and care to ensure that students understand the school systems and the reasons for school rules and expectations.  We also encourage students to ask questions and take time to provide them with the best answers that we can.  Student suggestions are taken seriously.  When we can change something, we will.  When we cannot, we will explain why.  This approach helps make students feel more empowered and reduces frustrations.
• Our student voice system, operated by the Youth Leadership Team, is very important to us.  Through this system, students have the opportunity to ask questions, contribute ideas and take part in initiatives which benefit the school and its local community.
• Chobham is a friendly school which is set up to allow students to get to know one another and to spend time together.  There are plenty of opportunities for students to talk to each other and to make new friends.  Staff intervene quickly when any student seems isolated or when issues between friends arise.  In these ways, we tackle effectively some of the issues which can cause young people unhappiness.
• We also recognise that happiness at school depends upon young people feeling safe, secure and able to get on with their learning.  Our robust systems to support excellent behaviour both in the classroom and around school generally contribute to our students feeling secure.  We carry out regular student surveys to identify any areas of the school where students feel less safe and address issues arising quickly.
• Many of our students’ insecurities centre around their experience of using social media.  Often, the issues arising begin outside of school then manifest themselves in behaviour at school.  We educate our students to use social media responsibly.
• We take care to anticipate likely pressure points in our students’ school lives and build in additional, focussed support as necessary.  These points may include the build up to examination periods, sixth form and university applications or interviews.  Our support is always specific to the circumstances and practical.
• Our philosophy is based upon the recognition that young people get things wrong and that school is the safest environment for this to happen in.  At Chobham, we believe that making mistakes is educative and part of becoming a responsible and thoughtful young adult.  Whilst students may be challenged when they make poor choice, we firmly believe that this should be an educative process and that mistakes are an opportunity for young people to learn and grow.

Some of the key approaches we use to maintain and develop student wellbeing are as follows:

• Helping and training staff to develop excellent working relationships with students so that staff have a clear understanding of the pressures affecting students and so that students feel able to share difficulties and seek support.
• Tutor group and year group systems which help build secure and trusting staff and student communities within the Academy.  In these environments, students feel safe to express themselves, ask questions and seek the support of peers and staff. 
• Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons are part of our core curriculum.
• We have counselling and external mentoring programmes for students.  We also train our students as peer mentors and have a highly effective mentoring scheme involving ex-students.
• In our half termly Values Days students learn in greater depth about PSHE themes, developing their social and communication skills.  These days frequently involve trips and visits from external speakers.
• A detailed programme of academic support interventions to help students prepare for examinations.
• A wide range of exercise and relaxation opportunities including boxing and martial arts as well as more traditional school sports.
• Exposure to mindfulness techniques for all staff and students to help stay relaxed and manage pressure points.
• A dedicated wellbeing room.