The Power of Pupil-Led Wellbeing

I started my teaching career as a VSO teacher at a convent school in rural Zambia where there was a threadbare pastoral care system in place. I witnessed first-hand pupil-led wellbeing initiatives taking place with very limited adult involvement. This included them leading their assemblies, drama productions on cutting-edge, often taboo topics at the time, such as HIV/AIDS.  At that time, HIV rates were running rife in Zambia and it was estimated about a quarter of the adult population were HIV positive. These pupil-led initiatives helped facilitate positive behavioural changes in their peers which could lead to long lasting benefits for the rest of their lives. This inspired me to not only pursue a career as a teacher but to put pupil wellbeing at the heart of everything I do.

Now, as Head of Pastoral Care at Marlborough College Malaysia (MCM) I’ve seen how pupil-led initiatives have led to a successful wellbeing programme that is relevant to our pupils’ needs. This World Mental Health Day, it will be the pupils themselves leading assemblies and activities to educate the pupil body about mental health issues as well as highlighting the opportunities for support from the College community. They’ll also be working alongside the school counsellor to provide workshops offering ways to identify self help tools and management strategies to support positive mental health throughout their lives.

More broadly, pupils at the College have a range of ways that they can take charge of their own wellbeing programme. In particular, our programme for Sixth Form students has been extensively developed over the last two years and is unique in that it offers pupils a truly personalised and bespoke experience, where students are given choice over almost all aspects of their wellbeing education. For example, the introduction of more practical based First Aid training was a direct result of pupil feedback and consultation. Alongside this, our pupils in leadership roles such as our Prefects, Peer Mentors and Heads of Houses undergo training in safeguarding and listening skills so that they can offer support for younger pupils, which creates a culture of empathy and responsibility within the school community, ensuring students take an active role in their own wellbeing as well as enabling them to be advocates for their peers.

Sixth Form students who are the co-chairs of the Wellbeing and Outreach Committee giving a presentation about some of the common challenges associated with mental health.

This pupil-led approach to wellbeing at Marlborough College Malaysia has been highly successful and there have been several benefits:

• It empowers the pupils and develops a supportive community where voices are heard and acted upon for positive change.
• When pupils take ownership of their wellbeing initiatives it leads to increased engagement and motivation for their physical and mental health. It ensures that activities are relevant to their needs.
• It leads to leadership opportunities within the school, which builds confidence and a sense of belonging to the school community.
• Pupils are best placed to identify their needs and the needs of their peers. The Peer Mentors initiative at MCM has led to the development of a support network across the College in a safe and trusted environment.
• It reflects our core values of ‘compassion, companionship and conversation’ creating a culture of conversation about mental and physical health. This conversation leads to a reduced stigma towards mental health issues which builds emotional intelligence within our pupil body.

Prep pupils putting together ideas for their ‘Wellbeing Board’ which will go in their shared year group area giving each other helpful hints and tips on how to improve their mental health.

Of course, staff training is also crucial for creating a unified message about the importance of both physical and mental health for the whole school community. That’s why Marlborough College Malaysia will be hosting the FOBISIA Safeguarding and Pastoral Care Conference in 2025, with the theme of ‘Culture of Care’. The Conference aims to bring together educators to share best practices, strategies and resources exploring ways to implement an effective safeguarding approach across the entire school community.

From my early early experiences in Zambia to my current role at Marlborough College Malaysia, I’ve seen the profound impact that pupil-led initiatives can have on wellbeing education. By empowering our pupils, we create a supportive school community and equip them with essential skills for managing both their physical and mental health for the rest of their lives.