Wellbeing
Wellbeing is a very broad term that encompasses all aspects of life at King Edward's. In being concerned in the wellbeing of staff and students, the School is seeking to help everyone 'flourish', that is, to experience positive growth in all aspects of their lives.
When we talk about wellbeing at King Edward's we are referring to several strands that run across the school:
- Curricular Wellbeing
- Academic Wellbeing
- Co-curricular Wellbeing
- Physical Wellbeing
- Mental Wellbeing
- Welfare
- Charity
To learn more about each stand, please click on the below boxes.
Curricular Wellbeing
There are curricular wellbeing classes for Year 7 to Year 11 at King Edwards. For full information on the topics taught, and when, please click here.
Academic Wellbeing
In order for all students to flourish academically, the School encourages the adoption of the Growth Mindset, as pioneered by Carol Dweck. A Growth Mindset is seen in an individual who seeks new challenges, accepts feedback and responds constructively. By contrast a closed mindset can be observed in one who is afraid of new things and responds negatively to feedback.
The School encourages Growth Mindset both through teaching it as part of the wellbeing curriculum and also through the mechanisms through which feedback is offered by individual teachers. In particular the message to students and parents is that personal improvement is the most important aspect of learning, and that comparing oneself to others is counter-productive.
Co-curricular Wellbeing
The co-curricular provision at the School is central to all five of the ‘PERMA’ goals. Non-academic activities contribute towards increasing Positive Emotions, teach students to engage in a task and seek to become better at it purely for the sake of trying to something well, help foster positive Relationships both between students and also between students and staff, can help derive Meaning and satisfaction in life and create a sense of positive accomplishment.
Physical Wellbeing
There are two aspects of physical health that are vital to wellbeing:
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Maintaining physical health through a balanced diet and regular exercise
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Challenging yourself physically and gaining resilience through experience
Therefore, areas of the School that contribute to this area of wellbeing are: PE, House Competitions, The Duke of Edinburgh Award, Year 7 and Year 8 Summer Camp.
Mental Wellbeing
A person’s mental health and their wellbeing are sometimes interchangeable terms. In a school setting, mental health often focuses on supporting individuals when their mental health is poor, whereas wellbeing focuses on preventing lapses in mental health occurring. At KES, students learn about good mental health practice through their PSHE lessons and mental health is a frequent topic of assemblies.
Welfare
The welfare of all members of the School community is of paramount importance. No student or member of staff should be working in circumstances that are detrimental to their physical or mental health. Should such conditions arise it is vital that senior leaders are made aware of what is happening; they will take all steps within their power to provide solutions where possible.
Charity
Acting kindly and selflessly is central to all five ‘PERMA’ goals, and the School is committed to a very broad range of Charitable goals, involving several hundred students. The School will work towards providing further opportunities for all students to engage in these kinds of activities.
