Wellbeing at Brentwood SchoolWellbeing for both pupils and staff is becoming increasingly important in schools across the UK. In particular, schools are beginning to recognise the importance of developing resilience and opportunities for reflection as well as the need to nurture self-esteem. Like most schools, we are dealing with more and more mental health needs - anxiety, depression, stress and numerous other forms of mental health challenges.

Whilst we have many dedicated colleagues who offer a breadth of support to staff and pupils to enhance their wellbeing, it is clear that we need to build upon this for the future. We are committed to an approach that seeks to integrate the work of all involved with wellbeing - our year group pastoral teams, our nurses, our Chaplain, our School Counsellor and our HR team to name just a few. Within the curriculum, we plan to teach and encourage pupils that they have a built-in capacity for resilience. For example, in Chapel, students and staff are encouraged to be reflective and to consider human life holistically and the ways in which we can be a supportive community for one another. As a school,

we are embracing change and talking more openly about mental health issues. These are just some of the ways in which we currently support the wellbeing of our community.

Staff and pupil wellbeing is central to developing an inclusive and supportive learning environment and one where all are aware of the positive contribution they can, and do make, to society at large. The key information within this newsletter gives a brief outline of some of the specific events and support which have been introduced recently at Brentwood in addition to the support that we offer currently. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to find out more about what we offer at school.

Miss M K ChoateDirector of Wellbeing

“Choices, challenges and changes”

VIRTUE LEARNING MANNERS

Hate crime Assemblies

Michaelmas Term Wellbeing Events

05SEP 19

Making a Safer Journey Assembly

10SEP 19

Reality Roadshow

The Fourth Year attended a Road Safety talk, delivered by Gillian Beale from Safer Essex Roads Partnership. The pupils learnt about the dangers of distractions whilst driving and the importance of being a responsible passenger.

20SEP 19

RoadsterRoad Safety

The Lower Sixth attended multiple talks about Road Safety, delivered by the company Roadster. They attended sessions on the dangers of distractions whilst driving, the importance of being responsible when driving, like not drink driving or exceeding the speed limit, as well as learning basic First Aid skills in a crisis and hearing the ‘Driving with Grace’ story.

24SEP 19

Healthy Relationships

This term, pupils from the Third to Fifth Year took part in a Healthy Relationships session with Essex Police. The session addressed some difficult subjects and helped students to understand the signs of an unhealthy relationship, including domestic abuse, sexting, and consent and child exploitation.

03OCT 19

Mind Calming

Students were transported to a magical world of calmness and peacefulness during a guided visualisation session to calm their thoughts and experience their inner clarity that has always been part of them.

Self-defence

The session focused on the physical techniques that can be used effectively, and introduced the psychology of what happens in a confrontational scenario. Awareness and remaining “switched-on” are key aspects of self-protection, and so pre-emptive strategies were also covered.

Yoga

Students participated in a gentle Hatha Yoga session involving stretching and asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), and a shavasana (relaxation) to finish. This helped bring peace to the mind and body.

Satveer Nijjar

Satveer is a passionate trainer and speaker who delivers outstanding sessions nationally on self-harm awareness. She combines her personal experience of mental illness and self-harm; being a parent of a child who has suffered from poor mental health; alongside academic research and humour, to deliver sessions that reduce stigma, raise awareness and build confidence and knowledge.

Patrick Foster

Patrick is a former professional cricketer, insurance broker and independent school teacher whose life was torn to shreds by his pathological gambling addiction. Despite his idyllic upbringing and success as a youngster, Patrick’s life become monopolised by gambling from his university days onwards as he found making the transition from playing sport and into the real world a huge challenge. His gambling addiction brought him to the verge of taking his own life in March 2018.

09DEC 19

Road Safety

‘Perfect’, started like a sitcom in its slick delivery. The play’s infectious characters and their idiosyncratic relationships had the audience instantly smiling. Using naturalistic acting, narration, physical theatre, and popular music, the performance and its storyline had everyone glued to their seats.

15NOV 19

Lent TermWellbeing events

Knife Crime/Personal Safety

This knife crime session helped pupils understand the consequences of carrying / using a knife, and the implications of ‘Joint Enterprise’, it also addressed peer pressure and discussed how to protect yourself from those who may want to do you harm.

Drugs Awareness Workshops David Dunkley, Project Director of HowzThat1 will deliver drugs and alcohol education workshops to the Fourth Year. The aim of the workshops is to help our students understand the physical, mental, and emotional health effect of taking drugs and to help them build student resilience, values and skills around drugs and alcohol.

The workshops educate pupils on the topics above and look at how young people are able to keep themselves safe.

15JAN 20

11FEB 20

26FEB 20

The Breck Foundation

Lorin LaFave from The Breck Foundation will speak to the Fourth Year about keeping safe online. Lorin is the founder of The Breck Foundation, a charity set up after the tragic loss of her son Breck Bednar through internet grooming. Using Breck’s story, Lorin travels the UK educating the Digital Generation to keep safer online. They campaign for a safer internet and help train police, educators, health practitioners, safeguarding leads, parents and pupils to ensure that young people are empowered to make safer choices for themselves online. Lorin is a regular guest on the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4 and Channel 5, as well as on various radio programmes. She also presents training videos and documentaries, spreading awareness to all who touch the lives of children.

Natasha DevonHow to Support a friend with their mental health(Auditorium 2 - 3pm)

This session aims to help young people have conversations about mental health in a way that is productive and safe. We will explore the inherent limitations of language and how we can understand each other better and show genuine empathy. We will look at the role dopamine plays in brain health and how showing empathy positively impacts dopamine secretion.

06MAR 20

Social ideas, identity and mental health(Auditorium 3-3:50pm)

This session combines philosophy, politics and linguistics. The aim is to make students think about their mental health and that of their peers in the context of their culture, community and the way they communicate with one another.

It is designed for young people who know the basics about mental health and want to be challenged and inspired by something a little different

LGBTQ+The Media

Mental Health

Upcoming Trinity TermWellbeing events

Caroline Kirk, The RSE Service 1:50pm - 3:30pmBAC TS, BAC LT AND OBS

Caroline Kirk from the RSE Service will be in school on Friday 7th February delivering sessions to our Fifth Year. The topics that will be discussed are sexual violence, sexual harassment and rape, as well as the law, safety and who can help. Our aim is to ensure that our pupils have the skills and knowledge they need to stay safe and live healthy and happy lives as they move into adulthood.

07FEB 20

10JUN 20

17JUN 20

Essex Police - Gang Culture11am - 12:50pm

BAC TS, BAC LT AND OBS

Essex Police will speak to our Third Year about Gang Culture. They will cover areas such as what criminal activities are carried out by gangs, the consequences of joining a gang or having any involvement with a gang, the recruitment techniques used by gangs and the about support mechanisms for young people who have had involvement with gangs.

The RSE Service2pm - 3:50pmBAC TS, BAC LT AND OBS

Caroline Kirk from the RSE Service will deliver sessions to our Fourth Year. The areas that will be introduced are pornography and its influence on sexual relationships, making safe choices around sex and discussing sex with a partner. Our aim is to ensure that our pupils have the skills and knowledge they need to stay safe and live healthy and happy lives as they move into adulthood.

Fiscorum Financial Intelligence:Money and Foundation(Auditorium 2-3pm)

This Lower Sixth session will cover key financial fundamentals that students need to be aware of before starting their financial life.

It includes understanding the financial planning implications of the student loan, what affect credit history has, student bank account credit cards, overdrafts and payday loans at university.

10MAR 20

Fiscorum Financial Intelligence:Money and University(Auditorium 3-3:50pm)

This Upper Sixth session prepares students for financial independence at university. Students cover budgeting issues, which include the facts of student loans & how it connects with inflation and the wider economy, the tax implications of working, as well as issues to consider about their biggest expenditures at university. Fiscorum will also discuss the psychology of money including how social media is affecting our buying decisions and the impact of online gambling.

Assemblies Useful Connections

Consent AssemblyAuditorium, 10:25am - 10:45am 05

MAR 20

12MAR 20

12MAR 20

CoppafeelBreast Cancer Awareness AssemblyMem Hall, 10:25am - 10:45am

OddballsTesticular Cancer Awareness AssemblyAuditorium, 10:25am - 10:45am

21JAN 20

Hate Crime Mem Hall, 10:25am - 10:45am

31MAR 20

Home Safety AssemblyMem Hall, 10:25am - 10:45am

Weekly Mind Calming Sessions

Wednesdays in the BAC LT at 8am Sixth Form Wellness Drop-In Every Tuesday at 10:25am, Venue: 017

Regular Drop-In Sessions

Upcoming Parent Workshops...Parental engagement is key to keeping our pupils on track, therefore as part of our commitment to pupil wellbeing, we have organised a range of thought-provoking parent workshops this term.

27JAN 20

Screens & Social Media6pm - 8:30pm - BAC TS

Parents around the world are asking how to manage their children’s screen usage. Friendships are made and broken and displayed all over Snapchat and Instagram. Children cannot come home and leave school behind; it follows them into their bedrooms. Young people (and sometimes adults!) act badly via text and on social media with unfortunate consequences. Parents are tempted to ban all screens but they say it is too hard, and doesn’t work!

05MAR 20

Diversity Role Models: LGBT and Inclusion7pm - 8pm - BAC TS

Parents and carers play a key role in shaping and supporting young people’s opinions and attitudes. Led jointly by a trained facilitator and a representative from the School, this workshop will help parents understand the work the School is doing to be more inclusive, why it is important, and how they can support young people to develop empathy, inclusive behaviours, and embrace diversity.

11JUN 20

Natasha Devon - Communication and Mental health: Ways to create healthy emotional dialogues at home7pm - 8pm - BAC TS

English has some of the most restricted emotional vocabularies of any language. Talking about sensitive topics can be hard enough, but thanks to the small number of words we have to play with, we are often talking at cross-purposes. In this session, Natasha explores the right questions to ask and other ways to communicate when words are not viable or are getting you nowhere.

27FEB 20

Meditation Workshop6pm - 7:30pm - BAC TS

Let yourself be transported to magical worlds of calmness and peacefulness during a guided visualisation session to calm your thoughts and experience your inner clarity that has always been part of you.

21MAY 20

Parent Self-defence workshop6pm - 7:30pm - New Gym

The session focuses on the physical techniques that can be used effectively, as well as introduce the psychology of what happens in a confrontation scenario. Awareness and remaining “switched-on” is a key aspect of self-protection, and so pre-emptive strategies are also covered.

Please email ParentEvents@brentwood.essex.sch.uk if you are interested in any of our upcoming events.

Upcoming Staff Wellbeing...If you have happy, healthy teachers, that trickles down to happy, healthy children — which in turn trickles down to happy, healthy parents. So why not try out some of our upcoming staff workshops this term:

26FEB 20

Staff Meditation Session4:15pm - 5:15pm - BAC LT

Let yourself be transported to magical worlds of calmness and peacefulness during a guided visualisation session to calm your thoughts and experience your inner clarity that has always been part of you.

20MAY 20

Self-Defence Session4:15pm - 5:15pm -New Gym

The session will focus on the physical techniques that can be used effectively, as well as introduce the psychology of what happens in a confrontation scenario. Awareness and remaining “switched-on” is a key aspect of self-protection, and so pre-emptive strategies will also be covered.

Staff Yoga Sessions

08JAN 20

05FEB 20

04MAR 20

01APR 20

06MAY 20

03JUN 20

4:15pm - 5:15pm -New Gym

07FEB 20

The RSE Service12:50pm - 1:40pm - OBS

The RSE Service delivers a session to staff on the recent changes and guidance for teaching Relationships and Sex Education in schools. The session takes place in OBS on Friday 7th February at 12.50pm. The facilitators are highly skilled in working with children, young people and adults, coming from a range of backgrounds, including supporting RSHE developments in local authorities.

“Yoga was AMAZING. Everyone I spoke to really enjoyed it and though I do classes at a gym I actually really enjoyed doing the class with my colleagues. It was so nice to do something not related to the students and focus on our wellbeing.”

“

““Just wanted to say a massive Thank you for organizing the yoga yesterday -it was great and made me feel so much better... Any chance that this could be a regular class she says hopefully?”

“Thank you so much for organising the wonderful yoga session: I did enjoy it very much and it would be wonderful if it could become a weekly session. I did feel really good afterwards and slept very well”.

Staff Parent Pupil

“I came away feeling very informed and enlightened on a subject I thought I knew about, but obviously didn’t.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed last night's Self Defence session at school. It was really helpful and very interesting.”

“So thank you very much for organising. It was extremely worthwhile and I would love to attend a follow-on class should you ever decide to do one.”

“It was a really great experience to just relax for a while and feel justified in not being worried. Often I struggle to relax because I feel like I should be working instead, the session was a welcome break from that.”

“It was very restorative and found I was focusing much better throughout my lessons after. Very glad I partook in this as it’s now something I’m trying to fit into my life as it was so good!”

“Satveer was the best speaker we have had so far. Her session really helped me.”

“There were a lot of moves and techniques to absorb, but I always think, that if even if I came out remembering/perfecting just one or two of them, it might well help me get out of a difficult situation should I ever need it!”

Introducing our...Wellbeing DogsYou may be aware that there is increasing research into the beneficial effects of working with animals from the perspective of wellbeing and positive mental health. Many schools, hospitals and retirement homes have, for some time now, used wellbeing dogs to help children, patients and the elderly to relax and de-stress.

To this end, I am delighted to let you know that we will also be introducing wellbeing dogs to our School.

Wellbeing dogs can be used as a source of comfort and relaxation for pupils who need a little bit of breathing space away from the usual school backdrop.This initiative was suggested by a group of Lower Sixth pupils who felt that pupil wellbeing would be augmented by having a wellbeing dog in our midst. The proposal was then researched, risk-assessed and all the practicalities discussed, before it was ratified by our Health and Safety Committee.

The location of the dogs and the days on which they will be available for interaction can be found here.

George the Cavapoochon George is one year old. His mum was a Cavachon (King Charles Cavalier-Bichon Frise cross) and his dad was a Toy Poodle. His favourite thing in the whole world is to chase and fetch a ball, preferably on a beach. His second favourite thing is to roll over and have his tummy rubbed. George will be in school on a Tuesday in the Headmaster’s Study. He would be very pleased to meet you.

Henry the Labrador

Henry is three years old. He is a very friendly, gentle Labrador who loves being loved. Henry also enjoys running across the fields and getting muddy, swimming in streams, lakes and the sea and finding exciting things in hedgerows. Henry will be in school on a Thursday in Mrs Jenkin’s office (CU17). He would be very pleased to meet you.

Olga the Borzoi

Olga is three years old. Shy by nature, she takes a little while to win over; however, once she trusts you she will always come over to lean against your legs or have a cuddle. Her favourite thing to do is chase squirrels - eating chicken skin comes in a close second! She is terrified of the hoover and is generally a bit of a scaredy-cat, but that just adds to her charm. Olga will be in school on Tuesday lunchtimes in Ms Austen’s office (M3). She will be very pleased to meet you.

There are many reasonswhy physical activityis good for your body –having a healthy heartand improving yourjoints and bones are justtwo, but did you knowthat physical activityis also beneficial foryour mental health andwellbeing?

Why invest in...Mental HealthEveryone has mental health – and evidence shows that the benefits of physical activity on our wellbeing are profound

The benefits of sport and physical activity on our mental health are endless: improved mood, decreased chance of depression and anxiety, and a better and more balanced lifestyle.

The government’s Sporting Future strategy has mental wellbeing at its heart. And we’re already investing in projects across the country – from small community programmes to regional and national pilots.

So far we’ve invested £8,160,436 of government and National Lottery funding.

Doing sport isn’t just about playing in a team or joining a club.

Any kind of physical activity can boost mental wellbeing – from swimming to walking and yoga to dance.

How physical activity helps Mental Health

There are various ways that physical activity helps mental health, including:

Improved mood – Studies show that physical activity has a positive impact on our mood. One study asked people to rate their mood after a period of exercise (i.e. walking or gardening) and after inactivity (i.e. reading a book). Researchers found that people felt more awake, calmer and more content after physical activity. For more information and a link to the study, go to the Mental Health Foundation website.

Reduced stress – Being regularly active is shown to have a beneficial impact on alleviating stress. It can help manage stressful lifestyles and can help us make better decisions when under pressure. Research on working adults shows that active people tend to have lower stress rates compared to those who are less active.

Better self-esteem – Physical activity has a big impact of our self-esteem – that’s how we feel about ourselves and our perceived self-worth. This is a key indicator of mental wellbeing. Those with improved self-esteem can cope better with stress and it improves relationships with others.

Depression and anxiety – Exercise has been described as a “wonder drug” in preventing and managing mental health. Many GPs now prescribe physical activity for depression, either on its own or in conjunction with other treatments. It is effective at both preventing onset of depression and in terms of managing symptoms.

Article Sport England

The Safeguarding TeamWho can I talk to?“If you have a concern about the wellbeing or safety of any of our pupils, flag this as soon as possible to one of the safeguarding team below, to a member of the SLT or to Children’s Social Care directly. We are all working together to help keep every member of our community safe.”

DSLsDesignated Safeguarding Leads

Deputy DSLs

Headmasters

SeniorMrs Nicky Jenkin

PrepMrs Susannah Trowell

EYFS + KS1Mrs Vanessa Audas

SeniorMr Ian Wignall

SeniorMr Rob Higgins

SeniorMrs Jenny Edwards

PrepMr Tim Sawyer

SeniorMr Michael Bond

PrepMr Jason Whiskerd