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January 26, 2021

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Mental wellbeing an agent to a student’s success

THE World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of wellbeing in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

The Children’s Society (2008) found that whilst 10 percent of children and young people aged 5-16 have a diagnosable mental health problem, 70 percent of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.

At Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, our core values are: “Aim high. Work hard. Be kind and respectful. Make a difference.”

A study by Bostani (2014) concluded that there is a direct correlation between positive mental health and academic success; so it is truly in the best interest of educators to develop an ethos and program which positively impacts student’s mental health.

Fredriksen and Rhodes (2004) built upon this by concluding what a crucial role teachers have to play, in that by building good relationships with the students, they open a pathway to motivated, happy young people who have the ability to achieve academic excellence.

This is displayed at our school by our ethos that the student is at the center of everything we do. Staff seek out opportunities to build relationships with students by having open door policies, where they are approachable at any time to talk. Our university and guidance counselor, Zarate, provides both whole class, small group and one-on-one sessions with students and coaches them through any worries or concerns they may have. He also provides guidance regarding lesson options, friendships and exam stress.

We liaise closely with colleagues at a local hospital, who provide both the school and families with guidance and strategies to improve mental health in our students.

Another approach used is the use of “drop down days,” where students will move off timetable to take part in workshops to support wellbeing.

Holistic education is described by Lauricella and MacAskill (2015) as an approach that provides students with the “necessary skills and tools to succeed in environments beyond the confines of a classroom.”

At Dulwich, wellbeing for education is part of our holistic offering.

We believe that if a child is feeling safe and secure, that this will benefit other aspects of their life, such as academic achievement, having a sense of purpose and the ability to form healthy relationships.

We provide holistic curriculum opportunities for students to develop their essential life skills that they need to graduate “Worldwise.”

High profile education reformers such as Sir Ken Robinson have called for the education system to personalize teaching in this way to reach students individually, rather than treating the education system as a linear process, which expects students to all learn and participate in the school community in the same way.

Additionally, at Dulwich, we encourage students to be each other’s biggest supporters, and inspire children to form bonds and have a sense of belonging.

An example of this is that the students are sorted into one of four “houses” by a sorting hat when they first start at Dulwich.

It is an enjoyable experience for the children, and throughout the year they take part in various competitions and team building activities in their houses that strengthen this bond. Activities such as this benefit a student’s well-being and help them understand they have a support system they can rely on.

Educational outcomes are often assessed in the form of exams. The existence and detrimental effects of exam anxiety have been known for over 50 years and there has been a large amount of discussion in the education community about how this can be minimized.

Alexander Graham Bell first coined the phrase “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

It is imperative that students are provided with the tools for success and that schools are proactive in addressing exam stress as an issue.

Such ways to do this may include having open conversations about exams and the pressures they may feel to succeed — giving the students an opportunity to discuss their worries and then working collaboratively to formulate a plan to minimize this stress and to prepare fully for what lies ahead.

An invaluable tool that is used with senior school students at Dulwich is “AS STEER,” which helps schools signpost children whose cognitive learning and social biases are fixed and are at a greater risk of mental ill health.

This analysis frameworks tangible action plans and provides an invaluable extra set of pastoral eyes. These plans are then discussed at weekly pastoral meetings, where our team monitor student wellbeing.

As our cohort look toward their future goals and set out a pathway to success, the school supports them by holding open forums of discussion.

Topics for these include interview support, the criteria for getting into highly esteemed colleges and universities and talking to representatives from universities to gain valuable insight into their future and how they can prepare. This will also be a key time for parents to hear how best they can support their child through this process.




 

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