Loreto Primary School

Wellbeing Policy

Loreto Primary School

Grange Road, Rathfarnham

Wellbeing Policy

Introduction:

Loreto Primary School seeks to promote healthy lifestyles and the wellbeing of our school community, in a safe, supportive and non-threatening environment. Through its policies, procedures, activities and structures the school aim to create an environment in which:

  • People feel valued
  • Self-esteem is fostered
  • There is respect, tolerance and fairness
  • People in difficulty are supported
  • There is open and honest communication
  • Effort is recognised
  • Difference and diversity are valued
  • Conflict is handled constructively
  • Social, moral and civic values are promoted
  • Initiative and creativity are stressed.

These aims are implemented in the daily transactions between management, staff, students and the wider school community.

Mission Statement:

Truth, freedom, justice, sincerity and joy-as relevant today in Loreto, Grange Road as for Mary Ward in 1609.

We refer to the Loreto Compass document to situate our commitment to Wellness in our school.

Ethos and Aims:

A number of key principles and values determine the ethos, characteristic, spirit and practices in our school.

  • We are Christian educators who aim to communicate to our students by word and by deed what it means to be a fully human person in the light of Christ.
  • We aim to work in a spirit of close co-operation with each girl’s home as we take a shared responsibility for her overall formation and development.
  • We place considerable emphasis on the importance of a happy working atmosphere in the school that is based on mutual respect amongst all who study and work here.
  • We recognise that each girl in the school has strengths, weaknesses, needs and wants that are particular to her. Within the confines of a school system, we do all in our power to both recognise and cater for individuality and diversity. It is for this reason that we attach great importance to providing a broad curriculum, a wide range of extra- curricular activities and comprehensive support structures for all students.

 

Philosophy:

Loreto schools aim to create a ‘dynamic community where every student is valued equally and has a real sense of belonging’ (Loreto Education: Continuing the Journey, 2017, p.9). The school is a welcoming school and commits to using its resources to ensure and promote the care and wellbeing of our students. The Continuing the Journey document outlines how the ideal of Loreto education today will be enshrined in:

  • Courteous relationships within the school
  • The wide and well-chosen curriculum provided
  • Promotion of understanding of global issues
  • The extra-curricular activities organised
  • The systems, structures and policies
  • Communications
  • Interest and concern for the students
  • Loyalty and gratitude (pg.15)

The eight points above are central to how our school operates. They are also central to ensuring the wellbeing of the whole school community.

 

Definition of Wellbeing:

This policy is guided by 5 key principles as outlined by the “Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018-2023 Revised October 2019”. These principles are that a Wellbeing Policy be …

  1. Child/Young person-centred
  2. Equitable, fair and inclusive
  3. Evidence-informed
  4. Outcomes focused
  5. Partnership/Collaboration

The Wellbeing Policy document recognises that Wellbeing does not necessarily mean the absence of stress or negative emotions in life or the absence of mental health difficulties and that everyone experiences vulnerability and a need for care at some stages in their journey through life.

(Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018-2023 Revised October 2019)

Wellbeing is present when a person

  • realises their potential
  • is resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their life,
  • takes care of their physical wellbeing and
  • has a sense of purpose, connection and belonging to a wider community.

It is a fluid way of being and needs nurturing throughout life.

(adapted from the World Health Organisation (WHO) mental health definition, also adapted for the Junior Cycle Wellbeing Guidelines definition developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA))

 

 

Context:

This is a whole school policy which is informed by other policies, including the following:

  • Code of Behaviour
  • SPHE Policy
  • RSE Policy
  • Homework Policy
  • Digital Wellbeing
  • Internet Acceptable Use Policy
  • Anti-Bullying Policy
  • Child Protection Policy
  • Critical Incident Policy

Indicators of Wellbeing:

Six indicators of Wellbeing have been identified. They are:

  • Active: Being physically active is an Important element in staying well.
  • Responsible: Each person must take responsibility for their own choices and make decisions which promote their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.
  • Connected: It is important, for our wellbeing, to be connected to other people and to interact with others in a positive way. We should also appreciate the implications of our actions for those around us and further afield.
  • Resilient: Everyone goes through challenges in their life. By building resilience, we hope to give our students the skills to cope with difficult situations.
  • Respected: Feeling respected, listened to and cared for are key aspects of feeling well. Positive, respectful relationships are also central to maintaining our wellbeing.
  • Aware: To stay well, we need to be aware of our thoughts, our emotions and our limitations. We should also be aware of those around us, conscious of how our actions might impact on their wellbeing.

Ten Actions to Promote the Wellbeing of a School Community

  1. Developing and maintaining a safe, caring culture and climate within the school where a sense of belonging and connectedness is fostered.
  2. Building positive relationships between teachers and children to promote participation, social interaction and pro-social behaviour.
  3. Adopting a whole-school approach to health promotion, where health is promoted by all and not just by a few members of staff.
  4. Actively involving children, their parents/guardians and the wider community in developing and implementing school policies to support mental health and health promotion.
  5. Supporting and implementing a well-planned, consistent and integrated SPHE curriculum to enable children enhance their coping, resilience, communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills.
  6. Developing whole-school systems and structures to support the early identification of children experiencing social, emotional, behavioural or learning difficulties.
  7. Actively involving, supporting and encouraging children’s participation in extra-curricular activities.
  8. Fostering a whole-school ethos that accepts and values diversity within the pupil and staff population.
  9. Providing easy access to information for pupils and staff on supports available to them within the school and wider community.
  10. Facilitating access to continuing professional development for school staff on the promotion of the mental health and well-being of children.

 

(Well-being in Primary Schools Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion (2015))

In addition to these actions we also recognise the importance of providing opportunities to develop the necessary skills to cope with using online technology in a safe and appropriate way and as well as providing opportunities to develop skills to manage stress that may be linked to school work e.g. Homework policy etc.

(Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018-2023 Revised October 2019)

The school has always placed a strong emphasis on the wellbeing of the school community. Through its policies and procedures, the school seeks to provide a safe, caring environment for all.

The school recognises the importance of addressing all educational needs through the Continuum of Support:

The school organises a number of events each year, aimed at the wellbeing of our school community. There events are organised by various teachers over the course of the year. The following summarises some of these initiatives:

  • Mental Health Week
  • Active School Week
  • Playground games, dance breaks and Friday morning aerobic and dance. Organised by the Active School Committee
  • Wellness Team undertake a variety of initiatives throughout the year to promote wellbeing in our school community.
  • Student Council -Our student council is a representative structure working under the guidance of a teacher. It introduces a system in which the pupils can have a voice in the school using democratic processes. The council is voted in by their peers and meets on a regular basis.

Some of the activities of the student council include:

-Mentoring programmes for younger students e.g. poster competition, quizzes etc.

-Fun activities organised throughout the year to celebrate holidays and special occasions e.g. fun sports day, Easter egg hunt etc.

-Fundraising initiatives to raise the pupils’ awareness of others’ needs. e.g pyjama day in aid of the homeless, Rumbek etc.

  • Book Club
  • Debating
  • Running Club
  • School Choir
  • Green Schools Committee
  • Guest Speakers
  • School teams- Football, camogie, basketball, hockey, golf, athletics, tennis
  • Healthy lunches- treat only on Friday
  • Wellness Wednesday -Games Club and Loreto Scribblers

In addition to the above, the school seeks to promote an environment, which is positive, affirming and true to our ethos. The school will endeavour to provide as many extra-curricular activities as possible, thereby giving our students the opportunity to enhance their wellbeing outside of the classroom.

 

Staff wellbeing:

The wellbeing of school staff is also of extreme importance. As a school, we aim to support staff wellbeing through our policies, procedures and practices. For example:

  • The promotion of a safe, comfortable teaching environment
  • An open door policy whereby staff can discuss issues of concern with the Principal and/or Deputy Principals in a confidential manner
  • Regular staff meetings
  • CPD is provided, encouraged and supported by the Board of Management
  • Classes are resourced as well as possible. Requests for extra resources are considered and authorised, as appropriate
  • Staff have the opportunity to develop their leadership capacity through various initiatives, committees and groups.

Wellbeing and School Self Evaluation (SSE):

The school keeps its policies, curriculum and procedures under ongoing review. The school will use the SSE process to reflect on how we promote wellbeing in the school. The SSE process will allow us to examine our strengths and weaknesses in this area and consider areas for improvement. This will involve the views of all stakeholders. In line with Circular 0042/2018 we will use the SSE process to develop and implement our wellbeing process.

It is hoped that of September 2020 SSE in our school will focus on Wellness and the implementation of our Wellness policy we aim to use the Indicators of Success as outlined in the “Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018-2023 revised October 2018” as means of identifying our strengths and weaknesses as a starting point on our wellness journey.

   “Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018-2023 revised October 2018”

Wellbeing Implementation Plan 2018-2023

       “Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018-2023 revised October 2018”

This policy will be revisited in November 2021

Signed:

 

(Chairperson, Board of Management)

Date: 8th November 2021