Dean Close Preparatory School students recently spent the day participating in ‘Healthy Living Day’.
The day involved various challenges and workshops and was part of an ongoing Preparatory School Wellbeing Programme to promote personal wellbeing and to equip pupils with key life skills.
The children demonstrated communication and teamwork to succeed in various challenges down by the school’s river utilising balance beams and rope. On completion of these challenges, they were rewarded with marshmallows and a bonfire to toast them on.
A first aid workshop followed and taught the pupils how to treat burns and what to do if someone is choking, as well as how to conduct a survey of an accident scene and place someone in the recovery position.
Pupil Fenella said: “I had a general idea of what to do if someone was choking but to be shown exactly what to do has given me so much confidence, I feel that I could actually help someone in this situation.”
Clare Salisbury, head of personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) ran the puberty sessions and discussed their purpose: “The aim was to ensure that pupils are well prepared for the changes they will experience, and in some cases have already started to experience, during adolescence. We discussed what happens, both physically and emotionally, during this time and offered tips for looking after oneself during puberty so that pupils can feel more confident as they approach this stage of their lives.”
The penultimate session saw a visit to the senior school’s cookery school, where they made apricot flapjacks full of carbohydrates and vitamin C to prepare them for the final session of the day.
Finally, pupils explored revision skills and learned tips like explaining content to a friend and note-taking. Jo Cahill, head of learning support, said: “It is important to help children find ways to use their strengths and all their senses when learning. To unlock their own potential for learning can reduce stress, increase grades and encourage putting in the effort rather than seeing studying as a chore. The sessions gave the pupils plenty to think about and try for themselves.”