Putting Wellbeing at the Heart of School Life

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, wellbeing is no longer a “nice to have” in education - it is essential. At Alice Smith School, we believe that students learn best when they feel safe, supported and understood. That is why we have built a culture where mental health and wellbeing are woven into everyday school life, for both students and staff.

Our approach is proactive, structured and community-focused. From dedicated counselling services and digital monitoring tools to a comprehensive wellbeing curriculum and student-led initiatives, we are committed to ensuring that no member of our community feels overlooked.

Dedicated Counselling Support

At the centre of our wellbeing provision is a team of four trained school counsellors - two at the Primary Campus and two in Secondary. Their role extends far beyond responding to challenges. They guide, advise, consult, and support students, parents, teachers and professional services staff, always acting in the best interests of the child.

Support is delivered in a variety of ways, including individual counselling sessions, small support groups, workshops, training and school-wide awareness events. The team operates around what we call the “3Ps”:

• Presence - being visible and available within the school community
• Preventative - identifying and addressing concerns early
• Proactive - equipping students with tools and strategies before difficulties escalate

Where more specialised intervention is required, we work closely with external clinical psychologists or psychiatrists. Importantly, our collaboration continues within the school to ensure consistent, joined-up support for the student.

In Primary, counsellors also run a daily Breaktime Friendship Group. This welcoming space allows children to practise essential social skills through board games, art, bracelet-making and collaborative activities. It is a simple yet powerful way to nurture healthy friendships and confidence.

A Data-Informed Approach to Wellbeing

Wellbeing is deeply personal, but it is also something we can monitor thoughtfully and responsibly. To ensure no student goes unnoticed, we use the Komodo wellbeing app to track trends and identify students who may need additional support. The data is triangulated with our safeguarding systems to ensure a comprehensive overview. This structured system ensures clarity of roles and responsibilities and, most importantly, timely intervention.

Embedding Wellbeing in the Curriculum

Wellbeing is not treated as a standalone initiative. It is embedded into our bespoke PSHE curriculum (known as the ACHIEVE programme in Secondary) through age-appropriate Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), wellbeing and mental health education. Students are explicitly taught coping strategies, emotional literacy, resilience and healthy relationship skills.

Our counsellors support the delivery of these lessons, strengthening their presence and reinforcing the message that seeking support is normal and encouraged.

At our Primary Campus, Monday Wellbeing Mornings create intentional space for students to connect with their class teachers, reflect, and set a positive tone for the week ahead. This dedicated time complements our weekly wellbeing lessons and assemblies, all rooted in our character strengths framework.

Each week, our students explore a new character strength through lessons and assemblies, learning how to harness these traits to build a life of profound meaning. We aim to empower every student to move from personal growth toward true flourishing. By aligning these character strengths with our 'Community Promise,' we provide a clear roadmap for our students to lead with kindness, maintain safety and act with purpose.

At Secondary, Tutor Time in the mornings allows students to check in with their tutors, participate in a variety of wellbeing activities and build connections with their peers. Academic Coaching and Mentoring programmes provide personalised intervention, with tutor time also including guided 1–2–1 meetings.

In the Sixth Form, students have access to the gym and sports facilities during their free periods, providing a healthy outlet to recharge, maintain balance, and support their overall wellbeing.

Student Belonging and Leadership

A strong sense of belonging plays a vital role in mental wellbeing. We actively empower students to shape their school experience.

Across both campuses, Wellbeing Prefects take a student-led approach to promoting positive culture. They help plan awareness campaigns and assemblies, including Anti-Bullying Week and World Mental Health Day. Students have created powerful student voice videos titled “Choose Respect” and “I Am Unique” and delivered a student-led mental health assembly. We’ve also had our first group of secondary students attend and received international accreditation as Mental Health Warriors.

In Secondary, the Student Baraza, facilitated by prefect teams, provides an open forum for discussion and feedback. In Primary, the Student Council plays a similar role. These platforms ensure that student perspectives directly inform school initiatives.

Our House System is designed to foster a strong sense of inclusivity, belonging, and connection across all age groups, with House Day events actively focusing on participation, collaboration, and celebrating our collective spirit. These values are further reinforced through cultural assemblies and community activities - key pillars of wellbeing in an international school environment.

Engaging Families and Supporting Staff

Wellbeing is strongest when it is a shared commitment. We regularly host parent workshops on topics such as nurturing resilience and navigating the digital world, helping families extend wellbeing conversations beyond the classroom.

We also prioritise staff development. Two cohorts of staff have been trained as Mental Health First Aiders, representing a wide range of departments, from teaching and nursing to IT, sports, the library, and campus operations.

In addition, we regularly invite guest speakers and external experts to complement staff expertise and broaden professional knowledge, with plans to continue professional learning across the wider school so that support remains embedded throughout the entire community.

A Whole-School Commitment

Wellbeing is not a single programme or policy; it is a culture. Through counselling provision, structured monitoring, curriculum integration, student leadership, parent engagement and staff training, we are building an environment where every individual feels seen, heard and supported.

Because when wellbeing is prioritised, students do more than succeed academically, they flourish.