Abbey Gate College Pupils Embrace Wellbeing Day

22 Apr 2018

At the end of February, pupils across the school from Infants to Sixth Form took part in Abbey Gate College’s first Wellbeing Day.

The pace of life, concerns about school work, friendships, parents and the impact of social media on children’s lives means that it is more important than ever for pupils to learn how to manage stress and take care of their own wellbeing.

The whole school were off timetable for the day so that pupils could participate in a variety of talks and activities themed around positive mental health and wellbeing. The sessions focused on enabling students to understand their feelings and emotions and develop strategies to look after their own wellbeing, as well as that of their friends.

Younger pupils enjoyed a mixture of activities, including singing for fun, dance yoga and British Red Cross first aid, and participated in workshops such as personal safety with PC Sally Malone.

At the Senior School, the morning sessions involved talks on key wellbeing topics, such as mental health first aid, alcohol awareness and time management.

The afternoon saw pupils learning new skills, getting active, getting outside in the fresh air, working together, getting hands-on, learning strategies around resilience and managing anxiety, taking time out from the usual routine and getting creative. Pupils chose two activities from 21 possible choices, ranging from yoga to gardening, mindfulness to money skills and camp craft to chess.

Feedback from pupils was overwhelmingly positive, with children saying how much they had enjoyed the day and felt inspired.

Head of Pastoral, Nerys Moses said: “When you hear a Sixth Form pupil leaving a session of yoga and loudly announcing, ‘That was one of the best things I have ever done!’ you realise how worthwhile it is to devote time to wellbeing. It has been a privilege today to watch pupils taking advantage of the opportunities available to them to try something new. There has been a real buzz in the air.”