Student Wellbeing Champions

This academic year, Bourne Grammar School has been working alongside Healthy Minds to improve awareness of mental health and wellbeing within school. As part of this, a team of Student Wellbeing Champions has been established. Currently, this team is comprised of approximately twenty students across Year 10 and Year 12, with the hope to expand this as the role develops. The role of the Student Wellbeing Champions includes, but is not limited to:

• Promoting positive wellbeing and mental health throughout the School
• Supporting the creation and maintenance of resources that promote wellbeing, such as information boards, assemblies, and activities
• Promoting positive attitudes and ethos
• Supporting students to seek help from a teacher, tutor or trusted adult (and report any concerns they have about other students).

Wellbeing Champions receive training from Healthy Minds Lincolnshire on how to support and promote good mental wellbeing. Mr Brunker and Mrs Bainbridge, who work with the Champions, have also completed this training. The Champions receive regular support from a Healthy minds practitioner through three supervisions a year, as well as fortnightly meetings with Mrs Bainbridge.

As a School, we have the freedom to implement the project in a way that will best benefit our community, utilising resources and support from Healthy Minds where appropriate. The Champions have decided upon three targets to work towards this year:

1. Creating a wellbeing board to signpost students to support.
2. Promoting gratitude across the school community
3. Having positive affirmations around areas of the site.

The Champions have already made excellent progress towards meeting these. They have created a Wellbeing Board informing students of a plethora of agencies that can provide support. Also on the Wellbeing Board are tips on how to look after your mental and physical health, as well as some breathing and grounding exercises. The Wellbeing Board is located in the middle corridor of the New Block for all students to access.

In addition to their targets, the Champions hosted a fantastically successful Brew Monday event earlier this term. Our Healthy Minds practitioner was impressed with what the Champions have achieved so far this academic year and have presented them with their Bronze Award as a result.

For the rest of this year, the Student Wellbeing Champions will continue to work towards their remaining targets, and further embed themselves within the School community, providing support to students.