Wellbeing is characterised and defined in various ways (see, for example, Appendices 1, 2 and 3).  

O’Neill (2021) provides a simple ‘hybrid model’, drawing on ‘various wellbeing theories, both established and current’:  

1. Physical and mental health 
2. Family and social relations 
3. Emotions and mood 
4. Spiritual and moral goodness  

(Maria O’Neill Proactive Pastoral Care, London, 2021)  

We aspire for all members of our community to live fulfilled lives by cultivating each of these four areas. Wellbeing is at the heart of our vision for both students and staff.

Students leaving JCG at the end of their studies will:  

• Enjoy life to the full, value their friendships and achieve balance in their lives
• Have a thirst for knowledge Have a good range of interests, including the Arts and sport, which they want to pursue 
• Leave us with an excellent record of achievement 
• Have ambition, motivation and staying power 
• Have grown as individuals who are happy, well-mannered and able to find fulfilment in their service to others 
• Be conscious of the advantages they have enjoyed 
• Want to have a positive impact on her community and the world 
• Have happy and lasting memories of their time at College.

The College strives to be an environment that nurtures staff who:  

• Are passionate about what they do, drawing on the rich and fulfilling experiences they have in their lives beyond the classroom 
• Are focused on what is best for their students and endeavour to know and understand them 
• Contribute to a calm, collegiate, happy and purposeful organisation which cares for and invests in us as individuals and valued members of a team 
• Enjoy working in the exciting, vibrant JCG community, where colleagues and students possess a strong sense of belonging.

• To prioritise wellbeing in all aspects of College life 
• To promote shared, collective and personal responsibility for the wellbeing of all members of our community 
• To provide a stimulating relevant, and inclusive wellbeing and character curriculum (through channels including, but not limited to, assemblies, tutor programmes and the PSHE curriculum) that empowers our students to actively cultivate their own wellbeing and to seek support when it is needed 
• To ensure that all members of our community can access timely and appropriate support when they face challenges to their wellbeing
• To ensure that our rich co-curricular provision presents students with opportunities to cultivate their wellbeing and develop character traits, such as resilience, conducive to wellbeing 
• To promote a mindset of service, so that members of our community find fulfilment in their service to others 
• To provide students, over time, with increased opportunities to lead on supporting the wellbeing of the wider College community  
• To enable students to leave JCG with the tools to identify and support their own wellbeing needs throughout their lives.

Students should be encouraged to take responsibility for: 

• Understanding factors that affect their wellbeing
• Actively promoting their own wellbeing
• Seeking support to improve their own wellbeing when needed (see Appendices 6 and 7)
• Supporting the wellbeing of others in a bounded and responsible way
• Referring any concerns about the wellbeing of another student to a member of staff 
• Taking opportunities for student voice and student leadership to promote the wellbeing of the College community 

The Head Girl Team has responsibility for: 

• Leading students on promoting and developing a culture of wellbeing, including leading the work of peer mentors and other student wellbeing champions 
• Working closely with Principal and Vice Principal in this capacity 
• Leading the work of the SSLT in relation to student wellbeing

Parents have responsibility for: 

• Working in partnership with the College to promote the wellbeing of their children (in accordance with the Home School Agreement) 
• Providing feedback to the College on how the wellbeing of their children might be best supported 

All staff have responsibility for:

• Understanding factors that affect their wellbeing and that of their students 
• Actively promoting their own wellbeing and seeking support with this as needed 
• Playing their part in a graduated response to student wellbeing concerns (see Appendix 3) 
• Ensuring discussions of wellbeing, with their students, are informed by the CARE model (see Appendix 4) 
• Referring any safeguarding concerns to the DSL team

Form Tutors have responsibility for: 

• Using morning registration to provide students with the opportunity for a daily well-being check 
• Knowing their tutees well, and passing on any concerns (occasioned by a change in presentation) to the Head of School 
• Conducting 1-1 mentoring with all tutees

Nominated Mental Health First Aiders have responsibility for:

• Responding to staff and student concerns relating to mental health if approached to do so 
• Referring any safeguarding concerns to the DSL team

(For a list of Nominated Mental Health First Aiders, see Appendix 5)

Line Managers have responsibility for: 

• Actively promoting and advocating for the wellbeing of those they line manage, using resources such as the MIND guidance for line-managers
• Leading appraisal meetings to support colleagues in achieving their professional goals
• Leading return to work interviews to ensure staff wellbeing following a period of absence

Head of PSHE has responsibility for: 

• Ensuring that the PSHE curriculum (Years 7-13) empowers all students to actively cultivate their own wellbeing, to seek support when required, and to support the wellbeing of others in a bounded and responsible way

SENCO has responsibility for:

• Supporting students with wellbeing concerns that may arise from individual student needs
• Liaising with external agencies to support student wellbeing as appropriate 
• Creating, maintaining and reviewing Individual Learning Plans as required

Heads of School have responsibility for:  

• Leading the wellbeing and character curriculum (including Tutor and assembly programmes) and support for students in their School
• Supporting the work of student leaders and wellbeing champions in their school
• Using Parent Information Evenings, and other channels as appropriate, to engage parents in a shared effort to support student wellbeing 
• Analysing and sharing (as appropriate) data relating to attendance, homework submission, achievement and behaviour to promote awareness of possible indications of wellbeing concerns
• Liaising with external agencies to support student wellbeing as appropriate  
• Managing student Care Plans and Safety Plans as required    

Attendance and Welfare Lead / DDSL has responsibility for: 

• Deputising for the DSL as required
• Liaising with external agencies to support student wellbeing as appropriate
• Managing student Attendance Plans, Care Plans and Safety Plans as required 
• Ensuring that all students can maximise their wellbeing through good attendance

Assistant Headteacher (Student Guidance) has responsibility for:

• Leading the Student Guidance Team (see Appendix 6)
• Having oversight of the College’s engagement with external agencies to support student wellbeing
• Serving as the College’s Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Serving as a Senior Mental Health Lead
• Contributing to the review of this policy

Assistant Headteacher (Staffing) has responsibility for: 

• Supporting the work of Line Managers in promoting staff wellbeing 
• Overseeing staff induction, appraisals and professional learning 
• Liaising with Government and other agencies to support staff wellbeing as appropriate 
• Serving as a Senior Mental Health Lead 
• Contributing to the review of this policy

Senior Leadership Team has responsibility for: 

• Maintaining an ‘open door’ policy, such that any member of the SLT will, unless engaged, be available to speak to any member of staff, parent or student at any time during the school day.  If unavailable immediately, an early appointment, usually the same day, can be arranged 

Principal has responsibility for: 

• Overseeing the application of this policy

Tips for Wellbeing from the Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy 2022-2025 (Government of Jersey)

The Five Ways to Wellbeing, promoted by Mind

Desired outcomes when speaking to a student about a wellbeing concern: 

• The student feels listened to and cared for 
• The student knows how they might help themselves 
• The student is signposted to additional sources of support
•  Learning loss is minimised  

 Graduated response to wellbeing concern – presenting to a teacher or other member of staff:  

• If you are concerned for a student's wellbeing, start by speaking to them: keep the CARE model in mind. Can the student be encouraged to stay in / attend all lessons and to speak with members of staff at other times? 
• If anything you hear or observe makes you concerned about safeguarding, refer to the DSL
• If you have no safeguarding concerns, inform the student's Tutor so that they can check in If there is an ISN concern, fill in an initial concerns form and send to ENCo

Once the concern has reached the Tutor, they might: 

• Continue check-ins and consult with parents 
• Contact school counsellors to ask if a referral is appropriate [please do not send students to counselling sessions without consulting the counsellors] 
• Refer ongoing concerns to the Head of School  

Once the concern has reached the Head of School, they might: 

• Speak to the student and consult with parents 
• Arrange for support from an external agency such as Mind, YES, Educational Psychologist, SEMHIT or ASCIT 
• Discuss a referral to CAMHS or the Children and Families Hub with the DSL
• If safeguarding concerns emerge at any time, the DSL must be informed.  

Graduated response to wellbeing concern – presenting to Student Guidance Team:  

• If a student reports directly to the Student Guidance Team with a wellbeing concern, the immediate priority will be to establish if there is an urgent safeguarding issue
• If there is, the DSL will be contacted and action taken 
• If not, the team will aim to return the student to lessons as soon as this has been established, and to arrange a follow-up discussion when the student is free

The wellbeing concern will then be triaged, to be actioned by Tutor, counsellors, Head of School or DSL. For example, the action might be: 

• Tutor to check-in and update parents 
• Student to access School Counsellor 
• Head of School to consult parents and support students in engaging with external support
• DSL to make referral to CAMHS or Children and Families Hub

https://www.annafreud.org/schools-and-colleges/resources/care-animation-and-resources/

Who Can I Talk To? (including Student Support Team structure)  

Support systems:

• Emotional Literacy and wellbeing support from Heads of School Assistants.
• “Buddying” of new students by Sixth form students and other students in their House 
• “Open door” for all students, staff and parents 
• Individual mentoring for all students by Form tutors 
• Heads of School School counsellors 
• ELSA support from TA 
• Peer mentors