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As part of our Spotlight on School, we are pleased to take an in-depth look at how Great Oaks School has been boosting school belonging and enabling positive relationships for wellbeing.
Great Oaks School in Southampton is a large secondary school for pupils with a variety of learning difficulties, including autism and speech and language difficulties, as well as social and emotional difficulties and a range of health needs. All pupils who attend Great Oaks School have an education and health care plan. Being guided by pupil needs is at the heart of the school’s ethos.
Great Oaks School has used both the short and symbol versions of the #BeeWell survey to understand the strengths and needs of their pupils when it comes to wellbeing, and to help make sure that everyone’s views were heard.
“As a school whose pupils have a range of learning difficulties, being able to offer the #BeeWell survey in several formats is really valuable. It helps to break down barriers to participation, especially for our pupils who don’t always get the opportunity to have their say,” said Grace Kent, Assistant Headteacher and Social Worker at Great Oaks School.
The #BeeWell prize
In 2024, the #BeeWell programme in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, introduced a prize to celebrate plans for improving wellbeing in schools. Importantly, the plans were all co-designed with pupils, and young people led on the shortlisting process. Five prizes of £2000 each were awarded to schools in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, and one for a special school. The prize-winning schools produced the best improvement plans to address priority areas identified in their #BeeWell data. The prizes enable the schools awarded to add value to their action plan to improve young people’s wellbeing.
Great Oaks School was one of the winning schools. Read more about the prize and the winning action plans here.
In this case study, the school shares future plans and action already taken after receiving the award, and in light of insights from their #BeeWell data.
A focus on relationships and belonging
Using its #BeeWell data, Great Oaks School identified relationships as a key area, deciding to take action that would further build positive relationships within the school. In particular, the school wanted to target friendships, social support and loneliness. Great Oaks School was keen to develop its sense of community and ensure that everyone felt included.
“The data is so helpful for us because it highlights things we may not have known about in school, and it’s enabled us to really identify pockets of need and support for the pupils. It’s been really impactful in that sense. Embedding any new initiative takes time, but we’re glad to be part of #BeeWell and it’s definitely something we’re keen to continue moving forward,” Grace continued.
Communication has been an existing area of focus for Great Oaks School and it’s something the school has continued to build on. Staff have put up new communication boards around the school to help all pupils – whether they’re verbal or non-verbal – have a conversation. Two members of staff have been appointed as communication leads, and many staff members have benefitted from inclusive communication training.
There are also plans for a buddy bench in the playground – supported by the #BeeWell prize award – a place students can go to interact with peers. Young people have been actively involved in the project, led by the student council, by putting together designs for the bench. The school hopes that both the process of creating the bench, as well as its eventual use, will help support positive interactions between peers.
Break times have been another focus area for Great Oaks School. Different classes across the school have been ‘twinned’ and the school has promoted integration between twinned classes during break times. These classes are also twinned during class time, giving pupils greater opportunity to integrate and build relationships with other pupils. For example, twin reading sessions are scheduled in the classroom where twin classes work with and support each other. Staff have noticed that this initiative has been having a positive impact on the interactions students are having.
Grace, a member of staff said: “We’ve seen a lovely integration. It’s been wonderful to watch, you know, that the pupils have been really receptive to it.”
The school has also reinvigorated its ‘Friday activities’ programme, where students can get active together outside of the classroom. In addition, it plans to increase the frequency of its breakfast clubs and move the start earlier, to facilitate more structured community time.
