Wellbeing & Pastoral Care

We are by their side, every step of the way.

At North Bridge House we are committed to educating the ‘whole’ child and we pride ourselves on our integrated vision for our pupils’ education and wellbeing. Our pastoral and academic provisions go hand-in-hand; all staff are approachable, informed and actively committed to creating a fully supportive learning environment, which builds a sense of connectedness, focus and purpose for each and every individual.

We always aim to work in conjunction with parents and guardians to build strong links between home and school, and this starts at the very beginning of your journey with us.

Pupil wellbeing is at the heart of all we do.

We provide a smooth transition.

We know that a stress-free education is a vital component in getting the best out of children, so we have put in place a few simple measures to help with this. It starts straightaway as new joiners are assessed, rather than tested. We also remove the challenge of entrance exams for pupils moving from one NBH school to the next. Our goal is to ease unnecessary pressures from every pupil’s academic journey.

To create a stress-free transition into Nursery or Pre-Prep, we have also designed a programme of themed New to North Bridge events. From adventures in art to storytelling and science week, these events are a great opportunity for parents and children to get to know our teaching team ahead of their official start date. Come your child’s first day, they are familiar with their new learning environment and already settled in with friends and familiar faces.

We talk to the experts.

Our staff are experts in tailoring their approach to the stages of child development and the varying needs of pupils as they journey from early childhood to young adult. We use evidence-based research to understand our pupils better and how to support their personal development in the most effective way.

Therefore, we have a later start time for our teenage pupils in line with current findings about the teenage body clock, and we facilitate engaging guest speaker sessions on topics such as social media and screen time, which help parent understanding and family wellbeing as a whole. We further raise staff and parents’ awareness about how to foster good mental health through training and workshops with a mental health expert. This type of parental collaboration helps our pupils develop resilience and self-reliance, whatever the circumstances. Plus, as a Cognita School, staff, students and parents alike have access to a wide range of wellbeing resources through the Be Well Charter to support our whole school community regardless of the post- pandemic landscape.

We develop the skills to deal with adversity.

Academic success is inextricably linked with physical and mental wellbeing, so every educational opportunity is one to instil the skills which aid our students’ wellbeing. From timetabled Forest School trips at our Nursery & Pre-Prep Schools, to residential PGL (Activity Adventure Trips) and bushcraft trips at our Prep and Senior Schools, we connect with nature throughout our curriculum. This is a proven way to reduce anxiety, initiate friendships, enhance self-confidence and develop a hands-on approach to learning, developing the resilience to thrive inside and outside of the classroom.

Through our broad, structured, and carefully designed PSHE programme, we aim to teach students about the facts concerning their growth and development as individuals. We introduce concepts such as respect, liberty and equality to enable them to develop informed opinions and attitudes for themselves about a range of personal, social and moral issues. Our programme of assemblies, guest speakers, awareness fortnights, careers fairs and charity initiatives, give further scope to explore the views of others.

We ensure that pastoral needs are met.

The health and happiness of our pupils is very much at the forefront of education and each of our schools promote wellbeing at an age-appropriate level. Our child-centred approach to learning is established from the outset at NBH, with our Philosophy for Children programme. This encourages pupils to recognise and talk about big ideas, while developing their self-awareness. Golden emails continue to open dialogue between the school and home and recognise children for their social and emotional development. And at West Hampstead, our wellbeing dog receives a personal walk from the Star of the Week.

From the day a child begins life at North Bridge House until the day they leave, every effort is made to make them feel welcome and supported. At our Prep and Senior Schools, children meet with their Form Teacher or Form Tutor each day. The strong bond of trust that is established between pupils and form staff, enables free communication in an environment where pupils feel seen, heard and where they know they are taken seriously. The Form Teacher takes ownership of the pupils within their care, encouraging them to flourish by embracing each opportunity to learn and participate in the numerous co-curricular, sports, music, and art activities provided by the school. Specialist support is also available from our on-site Senior School counsellor and our SENCos (Specialist Educational Needs Co-ordinator).

Parenting support and evidence-based tips.

We aim to provide holistic support to everyone in our school community, in all areas of family life, which is why North Bridge House Preparatory School subscribes to Tooled Up Education.

This gives our families access to a regularly updated digital library of evidence-based tips, activities, videos and podcasts, on all matters relating to parenting and family life. Tooled Up Education is curated by one of the UK’s leading experts on parental engagement in children’s lives and learning, Dr Kathy Weston.

A deeply happy school… a place where pupils matter as individuals, and differences are celebrated.

– The Good Schools Guide

Happy children learn best.

There are many demands and stresses on young people as they navigate their way on the, not always smooth, journey from pre-teen to young adult, and we are here to guide, advise, encourage and support them.

We passionately believe that pastoral support is every bit the equal of academic provision, and is integral to the warm relationships, celebration of the individual and close-knit community here at North Bridge House. Our children leave us as confident, compassionate, and thoughtful individuals, ready to face new challenges with determination.