At Loxwood, we have a school environment where everyone feels valued and respected.
In February 2023, we introduced a team of pupil Wellbeing Ambassadors to support the school. These children (in Years 2-6) are chosen by their peers to represent our core value of kindness and for their ability to spread positivity. Good mental health and wellbeing helps our children to learn effectively, cope with day-to-day challenges and develop into resilient young adults.
The Wellbeing Ambassadors work with Mrs Swann, our Learning Mentor, to understand how to help the children and staff around the school to feel their best.
You can spot them in school wearing their Wellbeing Ambassador badges.
We are starting our 2025-26 school year by creating a whole-school display of crumpled paper birds for the hall, based on the Peter Reynolds book, 'Ish'.
Ramon loves to draw, but loses his confidence when his picture is laughed at by his older brother. Over and over he crumples his drawings and tosses them on the floor. He is ready to give up, but his younger sister has been secretly gathering the crumpled drawings and displays them. This reminds us that not everything we do needs to be perfect, but we must think more 'ish-ly'.
Our Wellbeing Ambassadors are an integral part of this project, taking the lead by reminding everyone in school to keep trying, even when something is difficult. This reinforces our values of resilience, curiosity and kindness.
"Your wings already exist. All you have to do is fly."
Our Wellbeing Ambassadors are continuing to work on the ways they can help improve the wellbeing of everyone around us. Here are some of their ideas:
- Buddy bench
- Music
- Wellbeing garden
- Looking out for people, checking they are safe and happy
- Sending positive messages to others or giving compliments
- Smiling and saying thank you
- Mindfulness activities
- Random acts of kindness
- Assemblies
We meet once a month to discuss our ideas, to be creative and to see how things are going.
What is the role of a Wellbeing Ambassador?
- To be a positive role model
- To promote happiness and peace in our school
- To help our children to feel safe
- To welcome new children and staff to our community
- To be kind and caring towards others
- To support those who may feel lonely or upset
- To follow and promote our school values
- To attend regular meetings with Mrs Swann
What are the aims of the Wellbeing Ambassadors?
- To develop a positive mindset across the school to improve the mental resilience of our community
- To reduce the risk factors that may affect wellbeing
The Ambassadors will be focusing on the 5 Ways to Wellbeing (researched and developed by the New Economics Foundation) and linking these to Loxwood’s 5 School Values:
- Connect - Social relationships are critical for promoting wellbeing and cohesiveness
- Be active - Regular physical activity is associated with higher rates of wellbeing across all age groups
- Take notice - Taking time to enjoy the moment and the environment around you directly enhances your wellbeing
- Keep learning - Continued learning through life enhances self-esteem and encourages higher levels of wellbeing
- Give - Individuals who show a greater interest in helping others are more likely to regard themselves as happy
