Happiness & Wellbeing

Academic success at Channing is partly achieved, we believe, when underpinned by an exceptional pastoral care framework which ensures that every student is supported and encouraged. Channing pupils enjoy a nurturing and positive environment that allows them to question, be free, think independently and gain confidence as they progress through the school. It is worthy to note that the Channing Code – The Channing Promise – was devised by pupils and this is adhered to by staff and pupils alike and forms the backbone of the school.

At Channing School, we:

• Treat everyone with respect and kindness.
• Think of others and be aware of their feelings.
• Create a positive and supportive environment where we have the freedom to act, think and be heard.
• Make the most of the opportunities we are given.
• Treat all people fairly.

Our pastoral system ensures that Year groups work collaboratively, creating a respectful partnership between pupils and staff. All members of the community have a shared commitment to achieve and enjoy success. Students know who they can talk to: a typical Channing day always features girls and staff chatting during break and lunchtimes and Form Tutors spending time with their Form to ensure their day is going well.

Pupils are allotted a form group and form activities, registration and PSHE time are spent with this group. Each group has a Form Tutor and a Co-Tutor. Pupils also have the opportunity to mix with other year groups as part of the House system. Older pupils provide peer subject mentoring and also participate in Form Time by leading activities and discussion sessions. All new Year 7 pupils are allotted a ‘Big Sibling’ in Year 8 who ensures that any issues causing concern can be raised and discussed.

Medical information

Channing School has two experienced part-time Registered Nurses: Ms Tas Franklin (Senior Nurse) and Ms Abi Levinson. Prior to School Nursing, Ms Tas Franklin specialised in Accident and Emergency care and she is also a Psychotherapist with a part-time private practice. Ms Abi Levinson specialised in Contraception and Sexual Health working for many years in the NHS, practising as a Specialist Nurse. Prior to this, she worked in a school nurse team for the NHS. They are supported in the Junior School by our Welfare Assistant, Ms Sukriti Bhatnagar.

The Nurses will care for any pupils who have become unwell or have been injured during the day, as well as supporting those with any chronic health conditions. They are also available to discuss in confidence any problems or anxieties they may have. Our school ethos is to support pupils to stay at school as much as possible, but Nurses will use their professional judgement to decide if a pupil needs to be sent home and will ask parents to collect them.

The Nurses ensure that the school has in excess of the legally required numbers of staff trained in First Aid at Work, as well as having key staff trained in Paediatric First Aid, Forest School First Aid, Outdoor First Aid and Sports First Aid. All other staff have access to a bespoke online Channing First Aid training course.

Ms Tas Franklin is a registered instructor with Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, and runs a program training staff on an intensive 2 day Youth MHFA course, as well as the equivalent Adult MHFA course for senior staff.

School Counsellors

Abisola and Jennifer serve as our Senior School counsellors, with Jennifer our lead counsellor. At the heart of humanistic therapy lies the belief that we are all progressing towards becoming the finest versions of ourselves. Challenging life experiences can frequently obstruct this progress, leaving people feeling immobilised, anxious, or despondent. The role of our counsellors is to provide support to our students by establishing a secure and nurturing environment in which they can delve into their inner selves, address their current challenges, and attain personal growth. This can be achieved through individual therapy sessions or group workshops conducted during PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education). Students in Year 7-9 receive referrals to the service from their Heads of Year, while students in Year 10-13 have the option to self-refer.

Tooled Up

We aim to provide holistic support to everyone in our school community, across all areas of family life, which is why we subscribe to a digital platform called Tooled Up Education. This gives our families and our staff access to an invaluable digital library of evidence-based resources on all aspects of parenting, education and family life. Founder, Dr Kathy Weston, has collated the best and most up-to-date research from around the world and distilled it into usable, easy to understand resources which can be instantly applied to daily life.

Tooled Up’s mission is to give every parent and teacher the tools they need to develop children into young adults who are:

Girls on Board

We are working towards becoming a Girls on Board school. Girls on Board is an approach which helps girls, their parents and their teachers to understand the complexities and dynamics of girl friendships. The language, methods and ideas empower girls to solve their own friendship problems and recognises that they are usually the only ones who can. Girls on Board sessions are non-judgmental and reflective, designed to raise empathy amongst the girls and it is that empathy that fuels the search for harmony and resolution. By empowering girls to find their own solutions, parents need worry less, schools can focus more on the curriculum and the girls learn more effectively – because they are happier.

Chatting with Channing

This episode features an insightful conversation with Jennifer Barnaby, the Lead Counsellor at the Senior School. Wedelve into understanding her role, the range of services available to the students, and the significance of her position.

Furthermore, Jennifer graciously shares her top recommendations for enhancing mental well-being, offering valuable insights for everyone.