Measuring Wellbeing: Current & Future Direction What you measure affects what you do. If you don’t measure the right thing, you don’t do the right thing – Joseph Stiglitz, 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. While this may be a quote from an economist it is pertinent in all realms of life. As […]
It has been truly wonderful to welcome back many students in person on the College campus at the start of this new Term. While familiar COVID-19 related challenges continue to test our resolve, the College is taking all the precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the community. The ongoing testing, contact tracing, and switching […]
Get outdoors to get out of your comfort zone I love the outdoors. Collectively, it’s the place where I’ve had the most fun, taken the most risks, challenged myself the furthest, met the best people and had the most incredible adventures. Simultaneously, it’s the place where I’ve been the most miserable, felt my most uncomfortable, […]
Just like the business and professional worlds, education has its buzzwords and its trends. While some of these are valuable and enduring, quite a few aren’t. I feel that ‘Resilience’ and ‘Growth Mindset’ are vital in the work that schools do. I hope you will agree with me. Before we decide if ‘resilience’ and ‘growth […]
There are many days in our calendar that prompt us to remember things; no matter what our background, culture, beliefs, country of birth is. I say ‘remind us’ because it should be exactly that. We always say be loving to your spouse or partner every day, not just Valentine’s Day. Show love, kindness and respect […]
The art of goal setting will always revert back to the identification of a desire, target or wish to achieve something across multiple aspects of an individual’s life. Whether it is losing weight, learning a new skill or simply walking more steps each day, each goal is always unique to the individual. Lifestyle, values and […]
When lockdown began in March 2020, the prep school came up with the idea to ask for volunteers to set a daily challenge for other staff. As we were restricted in our movements and socialising opportunities, this was a lovely way to engage people, get creative and share. Challenges varied with art, cooking, poetry, quizzes […]
Managing my Chimp – Understanding and managing emotions, thinking and behaviour for children and adults. Schools are wonderful places with a buzz of excitement and an energy that can’t be quite replicated. They are a melting pot of children, families and staff whose collective priority is the wellbeing and education of children. During the school […]
How to talk to teenagers (and when not to) Contemplating my ‘writing task’ over last weekend, I immediately questioned my authority to do it justice. Goodness. Who made me the expert? Yes I have two of them and have taught a fair few of them during my teaching career, but I certainly wouldn’t consider myself […]
As we approach Half Term we can realistically say that we have now settled into this new academic year and a routine that is respectful of SOP’s, blended learning and the many COVID-19 related challenges presented to us. It is also purposeful, enjoyable and full of remarkable achievements and surprises. Although College life is very […]
The value schools place on pupil leadership and pupil voice gives a fascinating insight into the culture of the organisation. Some schools have pupil leadership as one of their fundamentals and ensure the profile and influence is profound. Other schools choose to have pupils appointed into senior positions but largely so they can carry out […]
Our school campus is an undeniably creative space. You have to look no further than the walls of our Prep Reception building to confirm this belief. The art displayed in this small area is a snapshot of what the rest of the grounds look like, and should you take a few steps beyond the reception, […]
‘Do Good, Feel Good: Rewarding positive behaviour and promoting Wellbeing within the College Community’ Had I been writing this 100 years ago, or even as recently as the 1950s, the title of this piece would have read very differently, I suspect. It would probably have been something like: ‘School Rules: why all pupils must obey […]
My curiosity in artificial blue light and its potential effects became heightened as we entered online learning. The increased screen-time during this period obviously had several facets, whether it was to stay connected to friends and family or to continue learning, it has been a necessity. Whilst we were able to innovate our teaching styles […]
Welcome to the first Parent Wellbeing Blog of this new academic year. It has been great to welcome so many of our pupils back to MCM and we look forward to more moving into our day and boarding communities. All this helps the pupils, staff and families to have a sense of returning to normality, […]
How many times have you been asked the question ‘what do you do?’ It is a staple of small-talk the world over. However, perhaps a more interesting question to be asked – and to think about – is ‘what gives you purpose?’ The answer to both questions may of course be the same but they […]
CAS (creativity, activity and service) is one of the three essential elements that every student must complete as part of the IB Diploma Programme. Throughout the VI form at MCM students participate in a range of activities alongside their academic studies with the aim to enable students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development by […]
The World Health Organisation defines wellbeing as: “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” The last few months have certainly tested our ability to survive in all the aspects of the above quotation. We have been faced with a completely new challenge […]
This is a topic that I have mentioned many times in the past, to pupils in assemblies and Wellbeing lessons, to staff in briefings and training sessions and to parents in briefings and in these Blogs. It is a topic I will continue to bring up frequently with pupils, staff and parents as it is […]
I recall being taught to fish by the quayside of a quiet coastal village when I was very young. The hook looked shiny and menacing, like a piece of barbed treasure, but my mentor baited it with indifferent efficiency and, as the well-practised always do, made the process look deceptively easy. Later, as we bobbed […]