Tonbridge Grammar School Student Well-being

What’s in this session Who’s who Supporting students at TGS: Levels of Support Health & Social Education Programme How the teenage brain works Staying ‘in the Zone’ for learning

Who’s who? Learning Mentor Curriculum DirectorsMrs Ryde Mr Hindocha Assistant Head TeacherMr Jardine-Viner Student Manager Mrs Ayling SENCOMrs Hull School NurseClare Wood (This term: Alison Watkins) School CounsellorMrs Ruffin + DCPCs

DCPCs

Supporting students at TGS Levels of Support H&SE programme Antibullying strategy ICT Acceptable Use Policy Homework Charter Mindfulness Information for parents + new this year for students….

Levels of Support

Health and Social Education at TGS Sessions in Learning Mentor time on: E-safety Relationships Self-image Healthy eating Emotional well-being + Mindfulness

Y8 HSE Day 11th February 2016 Fear of Failure (IMAGO) E safety Future Planning (CXK) Self-image/Healthy Eating (BEAT) Drugs and Alcohol (Kenward Trust)

Anti-bullying strategy Three questions we must ask ourselves before we communicate: 1. Are they kind? 2. Are they necessary? 3. Are they helpful? (Displayed in classrooms and in planner - and in staff room!)

ICT Acceptable Use Policy Mobile Phone Charter In planner – covered in assemblies/ICT lessons/form time

The Teenage Brain

Limbic: FEELING Cortex: LOGIC THINKING UNDERSTANDING ANALYSING Mind Blindness OverrideTHE ZONE

How can we help girls stay in the zone? Realistic Expectations – Advice from JoAnn Deak: How Girls Thrive ( Homework Charter Mindfulness Avoid multitasking due to new technology Sleep!

Realistic expectations: Teeter-Totter (see-saw) Parenting Raising the bar – gradually Growth Mindset

See-Saw Parenting (JoAnn Deak: How Girls Thrive) “Some girls feel the pressure of school every hour of the day. Others shrug it off. As a parent, you ride the teeter-totter (see-saw), providing balance for your daughter. That way, she gets what she needs from you: notice of her triumphsassurance that you’ll be there and distress for her no matter what.” +

Raising the bar gradually (JoAnn Deak: How Girls Thrive) ww.deakgroup.com “When girls come up against academic challenges, our encouragement is essential. Be careful not to ignore or discount a girl’s anxiety-it’s very real. But be clear that you expect her to move ahead, anxiety and all, and do the job. But every time the bar is a tad higher than a girl would prefer and she clears it anyway, she feels strong after the fact.”

Growth Mind-set “Whenever a girl worries enough to predict failure for herself, failure becomes more likely.” Jo-Ann Deak

Homework Charter Reminder Action Research/Student Voice leading to new approach to homework. Staying in the zone - 1

How can we help to minimise the risk of some students experiencing high levels of anxiety at school?

Time Types Guidelines students, parents teacher

Mindfulness The practice of becoming aware of what is happening in the present moment and of learning to relate more skillfully to thoughts, emotions, body sensations and impulses as they arise. Staying in the zone - 2

Mindfulness Links with Tonbridge School/ Research at University of Exeter Feasibility study: Students from 12 secondary schools either participated in the mindfulness in schools program or took part in the usual school curriculum.

Research Conclusions “The results suggest that students participating in the scheme are likely to benefit from improved emotional wellbeing and mental health.” “Neuroscience and brain imaging shows that mindfulness meditation alters the structure and function of the brain to improve the quality of both thought and feeling.” Professor Willem Kuyken, University of Exeter

Effect of Multi-tasking Some background 2011 – we took in five times as much information daily as we did in 1986 – the equivalent to 175 newspapers – we process some 100,000 words a day. (Daniel Levitin, The Organised Mind) Staying in the zone - 3

Effect of Multi-tasking “…when people think that they are multitasking, they’re actually just switching from one task to another very rapidly. And every time they do, there’s a cognitive cost in doing so” Earl Miller, MIT

Effect of Multi-tasking Multitasking over-stimulates the brain, increases the production of cortisol, adrenaline – a dopamine feedback loop that rewards the brain for losing focus… hijacked by shiny new things… Look up on the internet, check , send a text message… this creates a neural addiction…

Effect of Multi-tasking “…where you are trying to concentrate on a task and [knowing] an /text message is sitting unread in your inbox can reduce your IQ by 10 points” Glenn Wilson, Gresham College

The immediacy requires decision-making – this process saps your concentration… and when we send the /text we feel a sense of accomplishment and we get another hit of “reward hormones”… Why?

Effect of Multi-tasking (Dr David Sousa – How the Brain Learns)

Advice to reduce the effect of technology related multi-tasking No access to phone + social media during homework! Talk!

Sleep Where’s her phone at night?

Dwelling on an unwelcome message - makes your body tense. As you get stressed, your body can go into a “fight or flight” response. Cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the adrenal gland is released which prevents sleep. Small amounts of light from devices pass through the retina to a part of the hypothalamus (the area of the brain that controls several sleep activities) and delay the release of the sleep- inducing hormone, melatonin.brainmelatonin

Perception of our School (mumsnet discussion) The care is brilliant. I have known of a number of issues resolved very well. The student managers are super and they are responsive and understanding. One word on the pastoral care at TGS. We have found it to be wonderful. They have really looked after her this year and enabled her to overcome a couple of glitches. We have always felt they put her wellbeing first and her academic studies second. Only our experience, but couldn't be more pleased to have her there... neither could she! ​

What we are aiming for….. (mumsnet) “My daughter is at TGS. She has found the educational journey rewarding and thrives and enjoying all the school offers and care provided for her particular needs. She has never felt under any particular pressure. It has just been a genuinely enjoyable educational experience - and for the mother too!”

What can we do to help girls thrive and reduce the chance of anxiety? 10 Tips Please take a hand-out (JoAnn Deak: How Girls Thrive)

Reducing Stress…… When setting homework teachers will: Give clear limits of how much work should be done on an assignment e.g. number of words/minutes/homework slots. Give clear expectations of how much is to be completed in open-ended tasks and projects and what the assessment criteria are.

To minimise stress due to homework, teachers will: Not set homework for the next day. Wherever possible, students will be given at least 2-3 nights so that they can balance their extra-curricular commitments and activities that support personal and family wellbeing. Consider workload, other commitments and assignments set by the other teacher in shared classes when setting deadlines. Not set homework in the holidays. Not set group projects as homework tasks.