Health and wellbeing curriculum at Mearns Castle High School, East Renfrewshire

Published 09/07/2024.  Last updated 16/09/2024

The Hub at Mearns Castle High School is a department and resource within the school that was created in October 2021. The main aim of the department is to support the positive mental health and wellbeing of all pupils within the school.

Pupils can pop into The Hub anytime to speak to someone if they need support with anything, or it can be a space to come and hang out with friends at break and lunch time. The Hub also offers a range of targeted and universal health and wellbeing activities.

Hub Ambassadors

The school’s S6 Ambassadors are a vital support to the Hub. They are role models for promoting positive mental health and wellbeing within the school to other pupils.

They dedicate their time to The Hub by assisting with events and initiatives across Mearns Castle community. They also help supervise and engage with younger pupils who come to The Hub at break and lunch times.

Alongside this, the S6 Hub Ambassadors have also made wider community links with Mearns View Care Home. Ambassadors make weekly visits to the care home where they spend time with the residents chatting, playing games, and getting to know them. This act of kindness has reciprocal benefits to wellbeing for all involved. The local Co-op also contributed to this, as they regularly provided flowers which our ambassadors delivered to residents of the care home.

They also made a valuable contribution to Charities' Week by taking responsibility for daily music in the open area, by encouraging other pupils to contribute to a Feel-Good Playlist. In addition, they support the delivery of Kindness Cards which many pupils and staff write to each other to show their appreciation.

The Hub has a close partnership with local charity East Renfrewshire Good Causes. As well as the charity endorsing and supporting the work of The Hub, the partnership is reciprocal. Our Hub Ambassadors organised collections for the Trussell Trust Food Bank and ERGC have been nominated as one of the many charities to benefit from our Charities’ Week fundraising activities.

Improvement questions

  • How does your school use the learner's voice to lead school improvement?
  • How does your school use data to look forward to plan continuous improvement?
  • How does your school create an environment where children and young people feel listened to and are secure in their ability to discuss personal and sensitive aspects of their lives?

Supporting statements

A need was identified before the pandemic, but when that hit, it exacerbated learners needs. A thorough consultation process was conducted across the school community and with partners and as a result, a safe place with bespoke targeted support was created. (The importance of the environment was at the forefront of the plans).

The universal support offered through the PSE curriculum, has been enhanced by the understanding of the targeted support that some children and young people require. The school have taken a reactive approach and turned it into a proactive support tool for all.

One example would be the 'Living Life to The Full' programme where learners are supported to build resilience and coping strategies. (Dr Chris Williams - This programme links to cognitive behaviour therapy). S1 and S3 learners have been involved in the programme, as have parents and carers who now have some of the tools and skills to support their young person at home.

There are a range of supports which The hub can deliver to children and young people. This can be individually, in small groups or, across a year group. Senior Ambassador pupils share the message of The hub at school assemblies and support across different platforms (breakfast club, lunchtime and after school clubs).

The hub have been invaluable at supporting the PSE curriculum. Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) is a programme designed to help young people learn a range of life skills, based on a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach. It aims to help build resilience and develop the coping skills needed to manage life’s difficulties with a view to helping young people live their best life.

This programme is delivered as part of the PSE Curriculum to all pupils in S1 and S3.

It is also used in targeted group or 1 to 1 work in The Hub. In addition, parents of S1 pupils can take part in workshops this year led by Dr Chris Williams, the author of the LLTTF programme.

As well as The Hub’s contribution to the PSE Curriculum, we work together as a team to identify pupils who require more individual support. The Hub referral system allows Principal Teachers of Pupil Support to request bespoke input for pupils based on their individual needs.

Health and wellbing is at the heart of the school community and the importance of universal support is evident. The school has committed to enhanced staff training on the principles and approaches of nurture, promotion of positive relationships which combined together, compliments the team ethos that the school emulates.

Through either self referral, or referral from staff, young people can gain support from The hub. The package of support that is offered, is designed to support the identified need and is tailored to each individual.

As well as supporting all learners through the Personal and Social Education (PSE) curriculum, The Hub supports learners at key transition points.

Thanks to enhanced relationships with partners, such as the schools attendance officer, social work and colleges, The Hub is able to drive health and wellbeing support through a range of channels.

The wellbeing assistants offer a variety of supports, such as skills in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Growth Mindset, relaxation strategies, creative activities, resilience building and many more. The Wellbeing Assistants also deliver group work sessions focusing on nurture, managing exam stress and they deliver extra-curricular activities.  The Hub maintains a strong partnership with catchment primary schools and early years colleagues, and we offer enhanced wellbeing transition activities.  These enhanced transitions have extended to a partnership study with Glasgow University and the Living Life to the Full team, by offering CBT skills workshops for parents.

Guitar Club
Monday Guitar Club

Gifting flowers to care home
Gifting flowers to care home

Helping at S1 and S2 Curriculum Evening
Helping at S1 and S2 Curriculum Evening

Christmas Gift Giving
Christmas gift giving

Charities Week 2022
Charities Week 2022
^ Back to top

Health and wellbeing curriculum at Mearns Castle High School, East Renfrewshire

Published 09/07/2024.  Last updated 16/09/2024

The Hub at Mearns Castle High School is a department and resource within the school that was created in October 2021. The main aim of the department is to support the positive mental health and wellbeing of all pupils within the school.

Pupils can pop into The Hub anytime to speak to someone if they need support with anything, or it can be a space to come and hang out with friends at break and lunch time. The Hub also offers a range of targeted and universal health and wellbeing activities.

Hub Ambassadors

The school’s S6 Ambassadors are a vital support to the Hub. They are role models for promoting positive mental health and wellbeing within the school to other pupils.

They dedicate their time to The Hub by assisting with events and initiatives across Mearns Castle community. They also help supervise and engage with younger pupils who come to The Hub at break and lunch times.

Alongside this, the S6 Hub Ambassadors have also made wider community links with Mearns View Care Home. Ambassadors make weekly visits to the care home where they spend time with the residents chatting, playing games, and getting to know them. This act of kindness has reciprocal benefits to wellbeing for all involved. The local Co-op also contributed to this, as they regularly provided flowers which our ambassadors delivered to residents of the care home.

They also made a valuable contribution to Charities' Week by taking responsibility for daily music in the open area, by encouraging other pupils to contribute to a Feel-Good Playlist. In addition, they support the delivery of Kindness Cards which many pupils and staff write to each other to show their appreciation.

The Hub has a close partnership with local charity East Renfrewshire Good Causes. As well as the charity endorsing and supporting the work of The Hub, the partnership is reciprocal. Our Hub Ambassadors organised collections for the Trussell Trust Food Bank and ERGC have been nominated as one of the many charities to benefit from our Charities’ Week fundraising activities.

Improvement questions

  • How does your school use the learner's voice to lead school improvement?
  • How does your school use data to look forward to plan continuous improvement?
  • How does your school create an environment where children and young people feel listened to and are secure in their ability to discuss personal and sensitive aspects of their lives?

Supporting statements

A need was identified before the pandemic, but when that hit, it exacerbated learners needs. A thorough consultation process was conducted across the school community and with partners and as a result, a safe place with bespoke targeted support was created. (The importance of the environment was at the forefront of the plans).

The universal support offered through the PSE curriculum, has been enhanced by the understanding of the targeted support that some children and young people require. The school have taken a reactive approach and turned it into a proactive support tool for all.

One example would be the 'Living Life to The Full' programme where learners are supported to build resilience and coping strategies. (Dr Chris Williams - This programme links to cognitive behaviour therapy). S1 and S3 learners have been involved in the programme, as have parents and carers who now have some of the tools and skills to support their young person at home.

There are a range of supports which The hub can deliver to children and young people. This can be individually, in small groups or, across a year group. Senior Ambassador pupils share the message of The hub at school assemblies and support across different platforms (breakfast club, lunchtime and after school clubs).

The hub have been invaluable at supporting the PSE curriculum. Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) is a programme designed to help young people learn a range of life skills, based on a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach. It aims to help build resilience and develop the coping skills needed to manage life’s difficulties with a view to helping young people live their best life.

This programme is delivered as part of the PSE Curriculum to all pupils in S1 and S3.

It is also used in targeted group or 1 to 1 work in The Hub. In addition, parents of S1 pupils can take part in workshops this year led by Dr Chris Williams, the author of the LLTTF programme.

As well as The Hub’s contribution to the PSE Curriculum, we work together as a team to identify pupils who require more individual support. The Hub referral system allows Principal Teachers of Pupil Support to request bespoke input for pupils based on their individual needs.

Health and wellbing is at the heart of the school community and the importance of universal support is evident. The school has committed to enhanced staff training on the principles and approaches of nurture, promotion of positive relationships which combined together, compliments the team ethos that the school emulates.

Through either self referral, or referral from staff, young people can gain support from The hub. The package of support that is offered, is designed to support the identified need and is tailored to each individual.

As well as supporting all learners through the Personal and Social Education (PSE) curriculum, The Hub supports learners at key transition points.

Thanks to enhanced relationships with partners, such as the schools attendance officer, social work and colleges, The Hub is able to drive health and wellbeing support through a range of channels.

The wellbeing assistants offer a variety of supports, such as skills in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Growth Mindset, relaxation strategies, creative activities, resilience building and many more. The Wellbeing Assistants also deliver group work sessions focusing on nurture, managing exam stress and they deliver extra-curricular activities.  The Hub maintains a strong partnership with catchment primary schools and early years colleagues, and we offer enhanced wellbeing transition activities.  These enhanced transitions have extended to a partnership study with Glasgow University and the Living Life to the Full team, by offering CBT skills workshops for parents.

Guitar Club
Monday Guitar Club

Gifting flowers to care home
Gifting flowers to care home

Helping at S1 and S2 Curriculum Evening
Helping at S1 and S2 Curriculum Evening

Christmas Gift Giving
Christmas gift giving

Charities Week 2022
Charities Week 2022
^ Back to top