A Cumbrian school has launched a summer of wellbeing – and decided to opt out of some exams to help their pupils.
The independent Hunter Hall, in Penrith, aims to put pupil, teacher and parent wellbeing front and centre – helping the children and wider school community to understand that wellbeing is not about restricting yourself, but is about finding balance and achieving a personal equilibrium.
It has decided to opt out of both external Key Stage 2 SATs and the twice yearly formal internal exams all upper school students historically sat.
These have been replaced with continuous assessments in a classroom setting – reducing pressure to perform in exam conditions.
As part of the initiative, Ella Tarrant, head of lower school and early years, has now been appointed assistant head wellbeing.
She said: “Being in the Early Years, I can see how integral personal, social and emotional education is to the development of a child. But we believe it should remain at the forefront of the learning experience throughout a child’s time at school, to ensure that they thrive whatever they are doing, whether it’s in a maths lesson, on the sports field or on stage.
Our goal going forward is to interweave wellbeing throughout the curriculum, equipping children with the skills and strategies to prioritise and look after their own wellbeing.”
The school community will celebrate both Mental Health Week from May 13 to May 19 and World Wellbeing Week from June 24 to June 28, when the children will engage with local organisations and businesses who champion wellbeing, including Cumbria’s Emotional Health and Wellbeing team, Sunbeams Music Trust and Pooley Bridge’s Verey Books.
Horticulture, cookery, yoga, meditation and parent-led art masterclasses are already embedded in the timetable.
Hunter Hall will also undertake a whole school wellbeing walk; build in curriculum time for pupils to create their own toolkit of strategies to help recognise and regulate their emotions; create ‘be well’ Boxes to be delivered to local charities and organisations and take part workshops during weekly timetabled wellbeing sessions.
As part of this drive for wellbeing, under the leadership of new head Paul Borrows, the school team have undertaken a review of internal and external assessments.
Mr Borrows said: “Wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. Ella’s appointment and the summer of wellbeing are two key steps that underpin our commitment to a broad, enriching and inclusive curriculum, which develops key life skills through wellbeing lessons as well as through the wider curriculum.
“Looking forward to September 2024, wellbeing will have a physical presence in school in the form of new indoor-outdoor wellbeing space – a place where children will have the opportunity to learn in a different environment and develop an understanding of how to look after their own wellbeing, whilst also learning how to look after the natural world, all overseen by Ella.”
