Nurturing Health and Well-being

Our Path to Wellness: Nurturing Health and Well-being

Last half-term, our Service Learning focus has been all about wellness — embracing healthy minds, bodies, and habits within our school community. Under the theme 'Our Path to Wellness', students and families across our campuses have been exploring how small, positive choices can lead to lasting health and happiness.

On World Mental Health Day (9th October), our school came alive with a sea of yellow as students and staff dressed to show support and raise awareness. The day served as a powerful reminder of the importance of kindness, empathy, and open conversations about mental well-being. Students engaged in a range of thoughtful and interactive activities — exploring emotions, participating in physical movement sessions, and practising breathing and mindfulness exercises. These activities helped our learners understand how caring for the mind and body goes hand in hand, encouraging them to take small steps each day to nurture their own well-being.

In line with promoting healthy lifestyles, students took part in a series of food-focused activities designed to make healthy eating both fun and meaningful. Year 3 at our Junior School enjoyed a their Science and Wellbeing Parent Event – as their topic exit point, where they explored practically benefits of balanced meals, with stations called: Mindfulness Station, Stretch with Me Station, Movement Station, and Make a Lunch Box Station.

Our Infant students explored wellness and emotional awareness through role-play challenges and a reflective reading of Ruby's Worry. Students were encouraged to use their writing skills, to write words and sentences to reflect on things that they were grateful for on flowers to make a Garden of Gratitude.

Students at Bin Omran have been engaging in their service learning topic focused on keeping themselves healthy — both physically and mentally. As part of their learning, they have welcomed a range of visitors who shared valuable insights about health and well-being.

The students enjoyed making healthy snacks, learning about foods to enjoy in moderation, and discovering how to prevent tooth decay through healthy eating habits. Preschool also held a special Pink Picnic to help raise awareness of breast cancer and to share healthy food options with their parents.

Year 2 students particularly enjoyed learning about germs and how to stop the spread of unwanted bacteria. They created informative posters to raise awareness around the school, encouraging everyone to wash their hands thoroughly and stay healthy.

Our ongoing commitment to health and well-being extends beyond the classroom. Through Science and Physical Education, students continue to deepen their understanding of the human body, nutrition, and the importance of regular exercise. These lessons are woven into our curriculum to ensure that wellness is not just a topic of study, but a way of life at GES.

To further engage our community, we were delighted to host a Be Kind to Your Mind' parent workshop, which provided practical strategies for supporting children’s mental health and emotional resilience. It was heartening to see so many parents participate and share in our mission to nurture the whole child — mind, body, and soul.

GES Secondary recently celebrated its annual Wellbeing Week with a vibrant range of activities centred around the school’s four wellbeing pillars: Physical Wellbeing, Emotional Wellbeing, Health & Nutrition, and Student Voice. Students took part in daily physical challenges including boys’ push-up competitions and girls’ sit-up challenges, with the highlight being the Staff vs Students Step Challenge, where Rufayda Abderhaman stole the show by completing an incredible 129,000 steps over the week.

In Science, students investigated the sugar content of popular drinks, while Diabetes Awareness Day featured an eye-opening Q&A with one of our diabetic students, helping peers gain a deeper understanding of the condition. English lessons hosted a Wellbeing Write-a-thon linked to Wonder, Holes and Private Peaceful, and a heartwarming Kindness 'Pass It On' session encouraged students to write thoughtful appreciation notes to brighten someone’s day. ICT students showcased their creativity through a Digital Wellbeing Poster Competition, with the winning design set to appear in a local publication.

Student leadership shone throughout the week, with Year 12 girls organising a powerful Breast Cancer Awareness stand and a dedicated student media team producing GES’s first ever podcast, 'GES What', supported by Media teacher Mr Adam. Staff were also celebrated through a special Staff Wellbeing Hour, filled with uplifting activities including badminton, football, board games, tea and coffee, and mindful colouring.

The week was a tremendous success, uniting students and staff in activities that promoted health, kindness, creativity and emotional growth. Wellbeing Week continues to be a cornerstone of GES Secondary’s commitment to nurturing a positive, supportive and flourishing school community.