Support & Wellbeing
Julianne Pennycook
Pastoral care, student wellbeing and support for learning is at the heart of everything we do at St Leonards. We define wellbeing as our pupils being proud of their school lives, having positive experiences at, and feelings about, school, and believing that what they do at school gives them purpose and meaning. We know that young people who are well supported are in the best position to flourish and grow as lifelong learners, and this remains central to our ethos, both as a boarding and day school.
Diversity in our Community
Students at St Leonards are of over 30 different nationalities, travelling from across the UK and around the world to live and learn with us. This vibrant internationalism makes for a wonderfully diverse community which celebrates inclusion, traditions from all cultures, and peers from all walks of life. This ethos is actively supported and promoted by our Deputy Head (Pastoral), our pupil Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) leads, and indeed all members of staff and pupils.
Our Values
At St Leonards, we value kindness, tolerance, understanding, and mutual respect. Our school culture, rules, policies and guidelines exist to ensure that our community is – and continues to be – a happy, warm and welcoming environment for all who study and stay there.
Support for Learning
Our dedicated Support for Learning team caters for pupils with a variety of specific learning needs including Dyspraxia, ADD/ADHD, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia and ASD.
The team works across all four International Baccalaureate programmes and has dedicated Learning Support Hubs in both the Junior and Senior sections of the School, as well as a large Supported Study classroom in the Senior School.
The department works to ensure an educationally inclusive environment for all pupils. Diversity is recognised, respected and celebrated, and the team aims to meet the needs of each individual, with pupils considered and supported on an individual basis.
Specialist one-to-one lessons, paired lessons and collaborative sessions in small groups are offered, as well as learning skills workshops, study skills clinics and a range of support during exam periods.
Specialist one-to-one lessons are offered in the Junior Years at no additional cost. Support for learning in the Senior Years carries an additional charge depending on requirements.
The Wellbeing Hub
Our dedicated Wellbeing Hub serves as an oasis of calm right at the heart of the School. It is staffed throughout the week by our experienced Wellbeing Team, who are there to listen, to offer support as appropriate, and to be non-judgmental.
The Wellbeing Hub houses comfortable sofas, blankets, mindfulness activities such as colouring, Lego, jigsaws and fidget toys, plants and a kettle for those all-important comforting drinks.
Pupils can access the Wellbeing Hub during school hours. Tuesday through to Friday, whether they want to talk about a concern or simply take some time out.
There is always support at St Leonards.
