Validator report
31 October 2023
PWA-Harlowbury Primary School-CM17 0DX-31/Oct/2023
Areas for further development
Try reintroducing wellbeing passports across the whole school and seek feedback from children and parents who engage to find out which elements are most effective. Sharing positive feedback might also facilitate its continued rollout. Evaluate the revised PSHE programme to see what impact it has on knowledge and skills and identify any areas that require further development. Staff feel confident to support pupil wellbeing but it might also be useful to survey children - for example, do staff notice if they are worried or unhappy - as this would help to indicate any groups that might require additional support. Evaluate the parent workshops and share feedback to encourage increased attendance
Award term ref
Confirm the recommendation
1
Overall comments
The portfolio include some excellent, thoughtful practice examples that demonstrate the school’s commitment to supporting pupil wellbeing. Feedback from school council confirm pupils’ interest and engagement. Conversations at the accreditation meeting showed that the school’s work has had a positive impact – and, in particular, that pupil voice is taken into account when planning provision – but should the school decide to proceed to the gold award level, it would be helpful to include more examples of actual impact in the uploaded portfolio (see suggestions on the awards website for what this might include).
School ref
Validator benchmark comments
Benchmarks ref
Comments on impact identified during validation
The school undertook a pupil survey and identified key actions for development. In particular this indicated that children were concerned about poor sleep and wanted greater access to clubs and activities that support EWMH. Work on sleep has resulted in things like a reduction in the use of mobile phones before bedtime and children can also articulate the impact of lunchtime clubs on their wellbeing. More generally, focus groups indicate that pupils have a good understanding of what positive wellbeing looks like and Zones of Regulation and other approaches have helped them to identify strategies for self-care and to better understand what supports their own wellbeing.
Comments on impact identified during validation
Wellbeing focussed assemblies and other activities have increased pupils’ knowledge and skills and helped them to identify what they need to support their own wellbeing. As a result of feedback, the school has introduced sports clubs to support children who identified that they weren’t getting enough fresh air and exercise. The PSHE curriculum has been reorganised to ensure that wellbeing content is threaded through the whole year. The wellbeing lead has also evaluated the impact of wellbeing passports’ – see below – and is considering how to roll these out most effectively.
Benchmarks ref
Comments on impact identified during validation
Surveys record that staff feel confident to support pupil wellbeing and, following awareness raising and signposting to resources, are now discussing EWMH with children more often. They are more confident to identify EWMH concerns in pupils. Staff have also been given more time to discuss individual childrens' needs at in-school transitions so have more knowledge about their ‘new’ students at the start of the school year.
Benchmarks ref
Comments on impact identified during validation
The wellbeing lead identified this as a weaker area and it remains a priority for the school. A parent survey, although the response was limited, indicated that most feel the school supports their children’s’ wellbeing effectively. In analysing the feedback, staff felt that not all parents were aware of strategies for supporting children’s wellbeing and have responded by engaging MIND to lead a series of parent workshops after Christmas. Individual parents have also been provided with strategies they can use with their children.
Validator recommendation
I recommend that the school is accredited for this award
Validation confirm date
31/Oct/2023
Product attribute ref
Silver