Supporting Wellbeing

Student wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. We believe that when girls feel safe, supported, and confident, they can achieve anything.

Our approach to wellbeing goes beyond care—it’s about empowering every student to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Through a nurturing environment, dedicated pastoral support, and a culture that celebrates individuality, we help our students build resilience, self-belief, and a positive mindset. Because when girls feel strong and valued, they aim high and reach their full potential.

Our coaching programme

At Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich we place high importance on supporting student welfare and their knowledge of the world around them. We dediate 2.5 hours of curriculum time to our Coaching Programme, this is much more than 'tutor time'. It provides every student with 30 minutes per day focused on building belonging, and educating students through PSHE. Our PSHE programme has three themes; Health and Wellbeing, Healthy Relationships and Living in the Wider World.

Strategically we have planned a unique Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculum to tackle these challenges which are underpinned by the following statements:

• We want to prepare our students for the outside world and want to ensure that they are adequately equipped for the challenges of contemporary society and the challenges that they may face as young people.
• We want our students to be dutiful citizens who contribute to their communities and help others as well as themselves.
• We want our students to know their rights so that they can protect themselves from harm and support their peers in doing so.
• Lots of our students will face challenges outside of the Academy where PSHE can directly impact their navigation of these instances.
• We want our students to know signals and signs that might mean they are vulnerable and what to do if they think that this is happening to them. This is part of our safeguarding responsibility too.

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Programmes to support students

The Health Hut

The Health Hut is our dedicated space for student wellbeing—a calm, welcoming environment where girls can take time to recharge, reflect, and seek support. Designed to promote mental and emotional health, the Health Hut offers a safe haven for conversations, mindfulness activities, and access to resources that nurture resilience and confidence. It’s more than a room; it’s a commitment to ensuring every student feels valued, supported, and ready to thrive. 

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Programmes to support students

We have a range of supportive interventions for students who need a little more support at school. These programmes include Emotional Literacy support from our trained ELSA and Think Good, Feel Good, a self-esteem programme. We also offer whole year group interventions such as LEAP which supports students in managing relationships and conflict. 

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Anti-bullying

We have zero tolerance of bullying. Any student, after investigation, found to have been engaging in bullying behaviour towards another student will be dealt with robustly in line with a ‘serious breach’ in the Behaviour Policy. 

group interventions such as LEAP which supports students in managing relationships and conflict. 

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Relationship, Sex and Health Education

Our PSHE curriculum includes Relationship, Sex and Health Education and we believe this is critical for our pupils and our school, because it allows opportunities to support the development of self-confidence and resilience; helps pupils to know how and when to ask for help, and to know where to access support if necessary. Our aims for the curriculum are to teach our students how to keep themselves safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. 

The intended outcome of our programme is that pupils will have the knowledge that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationship choices. In turn, this will prepare students to develop the capacity to make sound decisions if facing risks, challenges or complex contexts. 

Personally, we would like our pupils to develop and maintain a healthy and realistic self-concept which in turn will build assertiveness, confidence and respect. Socially, for pupils to understand they have a responsibility to be compassionate and empathetic for others. Finally, to develop the attributes of managing risks by weighing up the positives and negative risks to themselves or to others. 

Part of our programme of course covers violence and harassment of a sexual nature and ensures that the academy addresses the pervasive nature of sexual harassment and violence. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that our pupils are acutely aware of how to treat others respectfully including permission seeking and giving, how to recognise unhealthy relationships and how to seek support. It makes clear that sexual violence and harassment is never acceptable.

We ensure that RSHE is inclusive and meets the needs of all our pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by arranging targeted small group intervention and differentiation of materials to allow all students accessibility.