Pupil Health and Wellbeing

Pupil health and wellbeing is of paramount importance at Castle Newham. Our aim is to provide a supportive and caring environment with a broad and balanced curriculum, both of which help to build children’s self-confidence, sense of identity, communication skills and resilience – all key elements of good health and wellbeing.

At Castle Newnham there is a range of support in place for those pupils who may be concerned about their own or others’ health and well-being, including mental health. Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economic (PSHCE) education is taught to support our pupils as they move through the school. Click here to view more information on PSHCE.

Pastoral Care

The pupils’ form teacher is the first port of call for pupils, parents or carers. Talking to this key member of staff can get you the in-school help that is needed.

Our Pupil & Family support team is also on hand to talk to individuals and their families in order to provide further support. The team can find help from outside agencies if further support is needed. For more information on the Pupil & Family Support Team, please click here.

Our school nurse, Judith Joyce, attends the North site weekly. Pupils have the opportunity to ‘drop in’ to see her to discuss any health and wellbeing concerns. The school nurse also offers one to one support to pupils in need of further help and works closely with our Pupil/Family support team.

Dealing with Exam Stress

With GCSE exams just around the corner, revision is a priority for thousands of students. Exam anxiety is reportedly at record levels and to help address this, BBC Bitesize has launched a new website following the results of questioning students as to what resources would help them. The answer was short, shareable videos from young people who had recently taken exams and this has led to the launch of bbc.co.uk/mindset – described as ‘smart advice from exam survivors’.

The science of stress:

https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend

External Organisations and Useful Websites

Bedford Borough Council

Activities for Young People and Health and Wellbeing

http://www.bedford.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/sports_development.aspx

Chums

Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Services for Children and Young People

http://chums.uk.com/bedfordshire-services/

Bedford Open Door

This is a charity providing FREE and confidential counselling for young people. Counselling is provided by a team of fully trained, experienced and friendly volunteer counsellors.

http://www.bedfordopendoor.org.uk/

Young Minds

Young Minds is leading the fight for a future where all young minds are supported and empowered, whatever the challenges. Their website aims to get the best possible mental health support for those in need.

https://youngminds.org.uk