The Importance of Feeling Seen: Inside Halcyon’s Wellbeing Team

In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week (11-17 May) and its 2026 theme, “Action,” Halcyon is proud to highlight and celebrate its exceptional Wellbeing Team — a group of educational leaders who take meaningful action every day in support of our students’ wellbeing.

The Mental Health Foundation named “Action” as the 2026 theme “because, while awareness is vital, real change comes when we take action too.” While our society has made significant strides in destigmatising mental health, these advancements only underscore how much work remains to be done.

At Halcyon, wellbeing is not just another box to tick; it is the bedrock of our school, underpinning both academic achievement and personal growth. Inspired by Human Givens Institute's Emotional Needs Audit framework, which prioritises a holistic approach, Halcyon’s programme itself is designed to offer a student-led experience, promoting balance and overall wellbeing. 

Earlier this year, we invited the Halcyon community to participate in a survey that marks the first phase of our strategic planning process. Engaging parents, students, and staff is essential to ensuring Halcyon’s next chapter reflects our shared values and aspirations. In the survey’s Community and Belonging section, 89 out of 90 parent respondents agreed that their child feels known and cared for by the adults at school. One parent noted, “Halcyon is unique because children feel safe to be themselves. That sense of safety helps them feel confident, supported, and ready to learn.” These insights reaffirm that our prioritisation of wellbeing is not just a goal, but the very heart of the Halcyon experience.

Alongside this, we prioritise a human-centred ethos — one that ensures every aspect of school life is grounded in strong, supportive relationships. Through this approach, students develop a deeper sense of autonomy and agency, empowering them to take active roles in their learning and personal growth. This way,  “action” becomes a shared responsibility between staff and students alike.

The Wellbeing Team, Ms Al-Shammari, Mr Ashraf, Mr Harvey, Ms Mitchell, and Ms Rosati, are cohesive partners that work together to equip Halcyon students with lifelong tools. The team includes a Student Wellbeing Lead, a dedicated Restorative Practitioner, Learning Coach, and Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy. This support is offered through a variety of mediums:

• Restorative Practice: An approach to ‘behaviour and discipline’ that builds healthy, respectful relationships. Through structured dialogue students are able to resolve conflict and encourage students to take personal responsibility. 
• Mentoring: As trained cognitive coaches, teachers are paired with a mentor, holding at least 15 minutes of private conversation together each week. Mentors don't give answers, but use cognitive coaching methods to help students find their own solutions.
• Mindfulness: All of our teachers are cognitively trained and embed mindfulness practices into classroom lessons to encourage effective/focused learning
• Counsellor: Our part-time school counsellor also supplements our team, providing deeper, specialised support when needed.

By empowering students to take ownership of their mental and emotional health, we equip them with skills that extend far beyond the classroom — enabling them to take meaningful action in their own lives and in the lives of others.

Students at Halcyon have demonstrated meaningful agency around mental health through a range of self-initiated actions that span peer support, classroom experience, and whole-school culture.

Recognising the impact of screen time on their wellbeing, students identified device-free lessons as a priority and advocated directly for this change when they presented to the staff curriculum workshop. This issue was taken further when student council representatives shared their perspectives on the relationship between devices and mental health with another staff workshop. Students also used the workshop to highlight the need for a more inclusive curriculum, recognising that representation and a sense of belonging are central to student wellbeing.

Perhaps the most sustained example of student-led action is the peer mentoring programme which is led by Grade 10 students. Rather than waiting for an adult-designed intervention, students identified a need and developed a structured response, pairing older students with younger students in Grades 6 to 9. The aim of the programme is to help students build confidence, develop resilience, and foster a sense of inter-grade connection and community. The programme recognises that relationships are foundational to mental health, and that students themselves can be powerful agents of support for one another.

Across all of these initiatives, what stands out is not just what students have done, but how they have done it, bringing their concerns to staff, influencing decisions, and taking responsibility for the wellbeing of their peers.

Whether through restorative conversations, mentoring relationships, or student-led initiatives, our community continues to show that meaningful change happens when people are empowered to take action together. During Mental Health Awareness Week, we celebrate not only the dedication of our Wellbeing Team, but also the students whose voices, ideas, and leadership help shape a culture of care every day. By working collaboratively to prioritise wellbeing, we are building a school environment where every student has the support, confidence, and sense of belonging they need to thrive.