Here at Oryx International School we aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for our pupils, staff and parents
We recognise how important mental health and emotional wellbeing is to our lives in just the same way as we do with physical health. We strive to create an environment, which provides excellent mental health support, understanding and intervention.
For our pupils, we recognise that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing and can affect their learning and achievement. Here at Oryx, we take a whole school approach to promoting positive mental health that aims to help children become more resilient, happy and successful. We aim to help our students develop positive relationships, support each other and seek help when they need it. We value their voice and have created a variety of forums so they are heard, valued and empowered. As a school we have also put in place increased contact opportunities for some students who are vulnerable or those who are struggling to engage with school work.
We are committed to fostering a culture of cooperation, trust and mutual respect, where all staff are treated with fairness and dignity, and can work at their optimum level. We believe that supporting and training staff to develop their skills and their own resilience is also vital. There is a Wellness Committee here at Oryx that organises events, virtual quizzes, fitness challenges and other virtual group activities to help staff continue to feel part of a community. All staff are given training on wellbeing and the school has recently invested in training some staff members in Level 2 First Aid and Mental Health. Our school counsellor is also available to staff.
We recognise that working with our parents, including providing opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding around emotional wellbeing and mental health is important. At Oryx we aim to achieve this with developing a parent monthly event calendar, school wellness newsletter and by conducting online parent workshops. Our Parent Teacher Staff Association has continued its work by organising events and provides a valuable line of communication between staff and parents.
Who can I contact if I have a concern or a question about my child?
- Tutors and class teachers work with students and parents when issues arise.
- If your child is in Primary and you have any concerns or questions, please use Class Dojo to contact your child’s class teacher.
- If your child is in Secondary and you have any concerns or questions, please contact their Head of Year who will be able to either address your concern or pass it on to the relevant subject teacher.
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Oluwabunmi Tobun | School Counsellor |
| Elaine Rayen | Wellbeing Counsellor |
Sarah DeweyWellbeing LeadAt Oryx we aim to create an open and positive culture that encourages discussion and understanding for all and it is because of our commitment to the wellbeing of our whole school community that we have embarked on the Wellbeing Award for Schools.
Safeguarding Statement
- to protect children who attend Oryx International School from harm. This includes children working from home and on school premises.
- to provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of Oryx International School, including paid staff, volunteers, temporary workers, agency staff, contractors, 3rd party contracted staff and students.
- Children should never experience abuse of any kind
- We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.
- the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do, therefore in all the decisions we take for children, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse,
- some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues, and
- working in partnership with children, their parents and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
We adhere to internationally recognised standards of Safer Recruitment, safeguarding of children and child protection and we undergo regular checks on our provision. All our staff and contracted workers receive annual safeguarding training; our key staff are trained to Level 2 and Level 3.
In addition, our staff complete mandatory annual online child protection training courses in various specialist areas.
