Knowing the impact of the school’s personal development programme and teaching on a child’s learning is key to their success. By continuingly evaluating the effects of the education we offer at The Hampshire School Chelsea we are able to adjust teaching methods and our pastoral care programme to maximise outcomes and success for all.

Visible learning involves teachers seeing learning through the eyes of the children; and the child seeing teaching and their mental health as the key to their progress. This leads to children thinking deeply about their learning and having the mental resilience to embrace the challenges that lead to great achievement. 

 
As part of our wellbeing and personal development programme this term, we celebrated World Mental Health Day. During the presentations from the Mind, Body and Soul Development Group in assembly on 9 October to the lower school and upper school ‘bubbles’, the pupils learnt about mental health, its triggers, the importance of talk, using the vocabulary of emotion and voicing worries plus the systems we have in place in school to raise concerns and facilitate dialogue.

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. Being mentally healthy means that we feel good about ourselves, make and keep positive relationships with others and can feel and manage the full range of emotions. Emotions that can range from happiness, excitement and curiosity through to less comfortable feelings such as anger, fear or sadness. Good mental health and learning to be resilient allows us to cope with the difficult times and the challenges of the academic curriculum, to maintain a sense of control of our lives and to ask for help from trusted adults when we need support.
The pupils are aware of the ‘mental health spectrum’ and how many different things can lead us to move up and down the spectrum such as an ill pet, or worries about those we are close to, the Covid-19 pandemic, the media as well as positive influences and other forms of good news.

The pupils engaged well with the presentation in assembly and were reassured about our school provision supporting their mental health including: the 4-7-8 breathing technique, ‘check in’ mental health scales in each class, Pupil Voice and Wellbeing Time (PVWT) every Friday and Mr McSherry (pictured), and Ms MacIness as the two trained school Mental Health First Aiders.
At The Hampshire School Chelsea we have a holistic approach to children’s development through a visible learning culture, an ethos linked to our five Core Values, an embedded personal development programme and a Growth Mindset learning environment that positively influences a child’s mental wellbeing and readiness to learn.