Wellbeing Offer

Universal

Didcot Sixth Form enjoys...

• Strong pastoral safety net - two dedicated heads of year, plus a full-time non-teaching student support and safeguarding officer. Trained in mental health first aid, dealing with disclosures of sexual assault and trauma, ELSA trained.
• Programme of external motivational wellbeing speakers - Tree of Life, Natasha Devon - to promote positive messaging around mental wellbeing.
• Culture of praise - over 1000 postcards sent in 2021/22 to students in the sixth form - combined with celebration assemblies and celebration of achievements in the News at Six.
• Two Student Wellbeing officers. Termly tutor time input, assembly input. Wellbeing week including random acts of kindness days.
• Programme of feelgood activities through the year - DSF Christmas Fair and concert, Easter concert, Winter and Summer balls, summer picnic, duvet Wednesdays twice per year, on Wednesday afternoons, monthly Dress Down Friday with donation.
• Programme of Ethos weeks celebrating the culture and diversity within the sixth form (national, religious, sexuality and gender, neurodiversity) to create a welcoming and inclusive climate.
• Culture of leadership as service - serving others promoted as a route to improving your own wellbeing. 65% of Year 12 giving at least an hour per week.
• Pivot Programme includes an hour per week of clubs or societies, compulsory for all Year 12, emphasising belonging, leadership, personal and professional development. Weekly sporting opportunities in a number of sports.
• Strong culture of on-site study and extended opening hours for study. Strong messaging around completing independent work in school and clear boundaries between work and home life.
• PHSE and Transition to Adulthood programme, covering the PHSE Association recommended themes at KS5.
• Entitlement to three full-day workshops from the School of Sexuality Education, covering healthy physical and emotional relationships, body image, reproductive and sexual health, consent and sexual violence.
• Frequent student voice surveys, including around sexual harms, equality and diversity, and all aspects of sixth form provision.
• Strong destinations programmes and support to give guidance and clarity about the future.  
• ‘Help’ button on the Didcot Sixth Form website to make remote or anonymous disclosures, or to request support informally.

Targeted / Bespoke

• The sixth form counselling provides four days per week of counselling provision (including strong trainee programme). Screening and referral tools to ensure rigorous needs-based prioritisation and robust referral processes. There is a standard 6+1 course of sessions, longer for some based on need. Currently, there is capacity for 96 students to receive counselling provision during the academic year.
• Students can access the School Health Nurse via direct referral or referral through the sixth form team.
• Twice-yearly Warwick-Edinburgh wellbeing surveys. Use the data from this to prioritise students for conversations and to steer them towards counselling service / other support.
• Routine triangulation of all available data - including sanctions data for missed deadlines, and punctuality and attendance data - to identify those who are beginning to struggle with the demands of sixth form; Head of Year intervention with these students.
• Established bursary provision and systems to ensure early identification of need and targeted expenditure.