We were delighted to welcome over a hundred parents to our second workshop last week. Mrs Prior (Head of Lower House) presented on research-informed approaches to support and enhance wellbeing, drawing on the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ programme advocated by the NHS alongside approaches to develop resilience and self-efficacy in age-appropriate ways.
Mrs Thorpe, who coordinates the School’s WIT (Wellbeing and Integrity Toolkit) programme, illustrated how integrated wellbeing is into the approach taken by the School through lessons that provide space for discussion alongside teacher input. Mr Uglow (Director of Studies) then delivered a brief introduction to how learning happens, recognising the reality that pupils who feel safe and well are more able to engage positively with the learning process. There was also a focus on the iterative nature of learning – drawing on the work of Ebbinghaus and others who have documented just how adept the brain is at forgetting things unless material is retrieved and used at intervals. This was a theme that Ms Dodson (Head of Learning and Teaching) took on as she explored how our knowledge of the learning process can be harnessed by parents to support pupil progress.
As a school, we appreciate these opportunities to meet with parents; it is an important part of our relationship as we work together to get the best from children.