In support of Mental Health Awareness Week, OLA Lower 6th Formers start their own pupil well-being club
Our Lady’s Abingdon is proud to assist our Lower 6th Formers in coming up with a plan to support their younger peers after this difficult year we have all faced with the effect of COVID-19 on school children across the county.
Following the difficult year that we have faced as a community in relation to COVID-19, we are now looking to brighter times and a sense of freedom. It cannot go unrecognised that the pandemic has caused some difficulties for children and that is why it is increasingly important to focus our attentions on their social and emotional well-being.
Our Lower 6th Formers Lottie, Naomi, Lucy, Katie, James and Eve have been thoughtful and proactive in volunteering their time to plan a way of supporting their younger peers by creating a weekly ‘Talk To Us’ club. This club will be solely student-led, under supervision, directed at pupil well-being. The content will vary from week to week, and can range from practising mindfulness, learning yoga or dance, or general discussion on a topic of interest to the group.
The students will be trialling this for the rest of the term in order to gain a better insight into what kind of content fellow pupils would benefit from, and Year 9 pupils will initially be invited to participate.
‘OLA is renowned for its pastoral care and concern for the individual child. Our staff are always focussed on pupils’ social and emotional wellbeing and it is heart-warming to see pupils supporting each other, too.’ Mr P Karian, Chief Operating Officer
OLA (Our Lady’s Abingdon) is a Catholic independent day school for students aged 7 to 18, offering a highly successful fun and innovative learning experience in a happy and friendly community.
The school’s success comes from a combination of six key factors which create the unique OLA learning adventure:
- Small school: With under 400 pupils in total, OLA offers everyone the possibility of representing the school in a wide range of confidence-developing activities, including sport, drama, music, academic competitions and other chances to thrive, such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
- Small classes: We have a very high teacher to pupil ratio, meaning our class sizes are smaller than you will find elsewhere. OLA provides a more individual learning experience that fully nurtures academic potential.
- Fun and innovative learning: Helps pupils to be fully engaged in the academic life of the school leading to exam results that regularly exceed pupil baseline predications.
- Highly praised pastoral care: Our staff work closely alongside our pupils to encourage, motivate and support each child, helping them to grow as confident, successful and happy individuals.
- Family community: OLA encourages an open dialogue between home and school through a range of effective channels.
- Catholic Christian ethos: This is the foundation of everything we do, creating the family community so valued by OLA parents. The school accepts children of all faiths and none and helps them aspire to such values as integrity, compassion, openness, forgiveness, reconciliation, co-operation and courage.
