HAT has been shortlisted for Well-being Trust of the Year 2023 - read more about our work here

21 March 2023

Well-being for pupils, staff and families is at the heart of our work.The first point in our vision and values statement is ‘we value people’: we try to live this value in all that we do. In the current climate, we are seeing increasing demands which impact not just well-being, but the basic welfare of members of our school community.We are trying hard to fill the gaps, where we can, and get children and young people to a place where they can learn and thrive. We are also striving for our schools be safe and happy havens for pupils and staff, when the world beyond our gates can seem bleak at times.

The examples below detail some of our efforts to promote and provide for well-being in our schools:

Pupils

• In-school counselling in our secondary schools ( in conjunction with partners such as NSPCC/ YMCA)
• The Bridge support programme (KS4) for young people in danger of exclusion – a holistic support and NEET prevention programme across our two secondary settings
• The Cloud and The Hive – nurture provision at our secondary schools to support the transition to secondary education
• The Nest – bespoke continuous provision for EY/ KS1 SEND children at Hampton Lakes Primary School
• ‘Let’s get talking’ initiative launched at Hampton Gardens School and peer mentoring programmes across both secondary settings
• Sixth Form students leading a mental health support group for KS4 students
• Branching Out – an Art programme with visiting artists, to develop self-esteem and well-being in SEND children. Has started at Hampton College Primary and to be rolled out at Hampton College Secondary Phase in 2023
• Hampton College (Secondary Phase) has the Young Carers Gold Award and has received national recognition for its work. The primary phase has the Bronze Award.
• Use of well-being dogs and reading dogs in some settings (primary and secondary) to support pupils
• Forest School and outdoor learning approaches in all our primary settings and secondary Forest School work and Froglife project
• LGBTQ+ group at Hampton College (secondary phase)- lunch time drop ins
• Hampton College Primary is working towards the Rainbow Flag Award
• Use of external partners, such as the social enterprise Youth Dreams, to work with vulnerable children/ young people
• Hampton Gardens is a pioneer school for the Schools’ National Well-being Programme

Staff

• To make well-being the uppermost priority in all of our schools this year, we devoted our September 2022 training day to a trust-wide event at an external venue. Staff were able to choose elective sessions, including: YMCA staff well-being programme; Mental health first aid; preventing self-harm; bereavement support; creating a secure classroom environment ( e.g. for those who have experienced trauma)

• Our schools have a well-being committee or representatives in each setting, who liaise with HR and the schools’ senior leaders.
• We subscribe to an employee assist programme, which provides services such as counselling, bereavement support and debt counselling to all trust employees
• Training and use of Senior Mental Health Leads and Mental Health First Aiders across the trust
• A programme of well-being and morale boosts for staff throughout the year ( prize draws, free breakfasts, random acts of kindness, staff sport/mindfulness/yoga etc.)

Families

• We are particularly proud of our support for parents and families. In all schools this is evident in initiatives such as the distribution of free uniform, food hampers and food bank vouchers to families in need.
• At Hampton College Primary, the staff chose to give up their staffroom space, so it could be converted into a ‘Family Hub.’ The hub is a venue for family and parenting support. Recently, we have started to host family support classes, in conjunction with an adult education college (such ‘as cooking on a budget’).
• A pilot at Dogsthorpe Infant School of a NHS mental health support worker being available to children/families in a school setting and participation in the Connected Communities programme
• We have been a local focal point for the support of families from Ukraine

Changes to policy and practice:

Provision for pupils:

• Strong emphasis on whole education and personal development across all age ranges, including a vibrant educational visits programme and wide in-school enrichment opportunities
• Development of bespoke provision at all educational phases to support the well-being and development of children and young people. This includes the support of children and young people who are vulnerable for a variety of reasons

Policies relating to staff:

• Hybrid approaches post pandemic (i.e. some virtual/ some in person) to parent events, which has proved popular with parents and staff
• Marking, data collection and email policies amended to support workload reduction and work-life balance
• Sharing of effective practice and initiatives rolled out in other settings. For example, the ‘Rainbow Team’ at Dogsthorpe Infant School aims to replicate some of the family support work established at Hampton College