Wellbeing and Support at Nexus - Wellbeing Award

Vision Statement 

We are committed to creating a nurturing, inclusive environment where every pupil, staff member, and stakeholder feels emotionally safe, valued, and supported. Our strategy promotes mental health and wellbeing as a foundation for learning, development and lifelong change.  

Nexus School is committed to providing a healthy and caring environment that promotes and supports positive mental health for our whole community; students, staff and parents.

Our Vision for Mental Health and Wellbeing

At Nexus, we are dedicated to fostering resilience and promoting positive wellbeing for all our pupils, staff, and parents. We understand wellbeing as a state of feeling comfortable, healthy, and happy. However, we also recognise that wellbeing goes beyond moment-to-moment happiness. It includes overall life satisfaction, a sense of purpose, and the degree of control individuals feel over their lives.

The New Economics Foundation defines wellbeing as: 

"Wellbeing can be understood as how people feel and how they function, both on a personal and a social level, and how they evaluate their lives as a whole." 

As a school community, we are committed to embedding this understanding into all aspects of school life. We believe mental health is everyone’s responsibility—staff, pupils, and parents alike—and we are united in promoting this message.

Through a whole-school approach, we aim to build an environment that offers strong mental health support, increased awareness, and timely interventions for all. By placing wellbeing at the heart of our culture, we strive to ensure that every member of our community can flourish. Our policies and practices will continue to reflect this shared commitment.

Parents 

Positive mental health is vital to what we do at Nexus; it underpins the crucial work carried out to support students and their families. By considering student and staff wellbeing in all aspects of school life, a positive, healthy environment can be created that improves student engagement, performance and achievement which in turn gives everyone an opportunity to develop and achieve their full potential. 

If you ever want to raise a concern about your child's mental health or have any questions, feel free to reach out to our Student and Family Support Lead – Amanda Lucas Assistant Headteacher: amanda.lucas@nexusschool.org.uk and/or Lorna Stapley Family Liaison Officer and Class Teacher: lorna.stapley@nexusschool.org.uk

Students 

Being a teenager is not easy, and we understand that. You have to navigate education, friendships, identity and many other things while becoming a young adult. This means that looking after your mental, as well as your physical health, is very important. 

We are here to support you through your growing up journey. Your teachers, Teaching Assistants and SLT are always happy to listen and discuss issues related to mental health that you may experience, be it friendship issues, anxiety or lack of confidence. We also have a dedicated team, trained in dealing with mental health issues, that is here for you.

If you feel it easier to share your feelings and difficulties with us online, then please click on ‘Tell us something’ and complete the online form – we understand that sometimes it is easier to write things down.

What is the Wellbeing Award for Schools? 

The award requires us to develop an action plan that highlights our current initiatives and introduces additional opportunities to support and promote mental health and wellbeing. Our goal is to foster a supportive environment where we learn and grow together as a community, ensuring that everyone is involved in our journey towards improvement. 

The Four Core Principles of the WAS are:  

• Mental health as a continuum  
• Developmental awareness  
• Whole-school culture  
• Proactive engagement  

The Eight Key Objectives of WAS: 

The Wellbeing Award for Schools is structured around eight key objectives, each encompassing a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to help measure our success.  

There are 48 KPIs in total, categorized under the following objectives: 

1. Commitment to Wellbeing – We actively promote and protect positive emotional  wellbeing. 

2. Clear Vision & Strategy – Our school has a structured plan for wellbeing and mental  health. 

3. Positive Culture – Emotional wellbeing and mental health are shared responsibilities. 

4. Staff Wellbeing – We prioritize the mental health of our staff. 

5. Professional Learning & Development – Continuous training ensures best practices. 

6. Understanding Needs – We recognize and address diverse emotional and mental  health needs. 

7. Community Participation – We actively involve parents, carers, and students. 

8. Partnerships – Collaboration with other schools and agencies strengthen our approach. 

The Impact: 

Research shows that the Wellbeing Award for Schools has had an IMPACT in six key areas: 

It provides us with a rigorous framework for implementing a range of strategies to bring  about positive change for the wellbeing and mental health of the whole school. 

IMPACT 1 – Reduced Stigma around Mental Health  

IMPACT 2 – Improved Pupil Behaviour 

IMPACT 3 – Improved Pupil Wellbeing 

IMPACT 4 – Improved Staff Wellbeing 

IMPACT 5 – Improved Parental Wellbeing  

IMPACT 6 – Improved Staff Morale