OrWellbeing
At Orwell Park, pastoral care is given top priority, ensuring that every child is listened to, cared for, valued and encouraged. All members of staff at Orwell Park have a part to play in providing for the needs of our pupils.
Pastoral Care
“Pupils are happy. They feel safe and they are confident when managing challenges. Leaders promote pupils’ emotional wellbeing. Adults listen carefully to pupils. They help them to understand their feelings and provide timely support when concerns emerge. Wellbeing activities and specialist input develop pupils’ sense of self and belonging”. Independent Schools Inspectorate, November 2025
Orwell Park’s pastoral care is proactive, personal and rooted in strong relationships. Pupils are taught the protective skills they need to stay safe, communicate well, care for their mental health and build resilience. Our values: integrity, courage, respect, kindness, collaboration and spirit, shape daily life and help every child feel known, included and part of the community.
Class teachers take special responsibility for the welfare as well as academic progress of the pupils in their care. In Years 3 to 8, pupils are given a Tutor who will not only maintain an overview of academic progress over the years in Prep School, but also take responsibility for pupil’s pastoral needs. In tutorial groups, which are kept deliberately small, Tutors spend valuable time each week with the pupils in their care.
Tutors at all levels keep in regular contact with parents and make themselves readily available to discuss a Pupil’s needs at interview and on an ongoing basis, in person, by e-mail or telephone.
The OrWellbeing Hub
A nurturing centre where wellbeing and learning go hand in hand.
Our new OrWellbeing Hub reflects the importance we place on wellbeing at Orwell Park. Positioned at the heart of school life, it brings wellbeing and learning together, helping pupils grow in confidence, understand themselves and enjoy their learning journey.
Orwellbeing Newsletter
A Purpose-Built Wellbeing Environment
The OrWellbeing Hub is thoughtfully designed around three specialist spaces, all located within the academic centre of the school:
- Life Skills Classroom & OrWellbeing Area
A welcoming space where pupils learn life skills, emotional literacy support, Girls on Board and Boys Together sessions. This area embodies our proactive approach to wellbeing, equipping children with tools they will use for life. - Learning Enrichment Centre (LEC)
The new space is designed to be an inspiring and purposeful space where all pupils are challenged, supported and encouraged to develop the skills they need for learning and life. Above all, the centre aims to ignite curiosity, strengthen independence and nurture a genuine love of learning. - Day Surgery
Our experienced, mental-health trained nurses manage medical needs, treat injuries and offer wellbeing check-ins, ensuring children feel comfortable, listened to and well cared for.
Working hand in hand with teachers and pastoral staff, our Nurses help ensure coordinated support for all pupils, enabling children to regain confidence and return to the school day feeling settled, supported and ready to learn.
A Culture That Extends Beyond the Classroom
From this central hub, our wider OrWellbeing strategy reaches across the whole school community, including:
- Regular wellbeing communication through our monthly newsletter
- Dedicated termly OrWellbeing Days
- Ongoing, meaningful practices designed to embed wellbeing into everyday school life
These are not one-off initiatives, but deeply embedded approaches that help pupils (and staff) develop positive habits, resilience, and confidence that extend far beyond the classroom.
The Wellbeing Hub
This portal by Teen Tips is a trusted source of support for our parents, pupils and staff, The Wellbeing Hub is designed by experts to meet the social, emotional and educational needs of young people. Access its resources via the Parent Portal.
What SEND Support Looks Like at Orwell Park
Individual learning
Pupils identified as having additional needs have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which is created and reviewed with input from the Learning Enrichment team, teaching staff, parents and the pupil themselves.
All children have targets and learn key study skills and strategies to support their learning.
Small group and 1-to-1 support
Targeted support and interventions happen through in-lesson support, subject clinics, and specialistone-to-one or small group sessions.
These tailored approaches help build confidence, deepen understanding, and support every pupil to develop the skills they need to be a successful independent learner.
Classroom adjustments
We use adaptive teaching approaches, differentiated tasks and reasonable adjustments to ensure that all pupils can access learning and make progress.
Teaching staff work closely with the SENDCo and Academic Deputy Head to identify any additional needs or barriers to learning, investigate concerns promptly and put appropriate strategies in place.
Emotional and social support
We provide emotional and social support to help pupils develop confidence, resilience and positive learning behaviours.
Where additional support is needed, pupils may access targeted 'ELSA' sessions with trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants, as well as support from external professionals such as Play Therapists and Cognitive Behaviour Psychologists.
Specialist resources and assistive technology
Assistive technology is a real strength of our provision and is used to help pupils access learning, express their ideas and demonstrate their true ability.
For pupils with specific learning difficulties, we use tools such as typing, dictation, text-to-speech, screen colour adjustments and reading support.
Preparation for assessments and transitions
We support pupils in preparing for assessments, exams and key transitions by developing strong study skills, revision habits, exam technique and confidence.
We also provide interview practice and guidance on communication skills, helping each child approach assessments and transitions with independence, resilience and confidence.
Access to professional support
We work with parents to signpost beneficial routes of support for each child where appropriate.
We have access to additional levels of support including Assessors, Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists and Play and Creative Arts Therapists.
Our Approach to SEND
At Orwell Park, our approach to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is rooted in an inclusive ethos that recognises the whole child as an individual.
We understand that no two learners are the same, and that children may require different types and levels of support at different stages of their school journey.
Through adaptive teaching, early identification, and responsive intervention, we aim to ensure that every pupil is appropriately supported and challenged. Support is carefully planned to complement high-quality classroom teaching, helping pupils to build confidence, independence, and resilience.
Understanding Every Child Together
We work in partnership with families to understand and review each unique child’s strengths, any concerns and any previous support or assessments
FAQs
School Menu
Meal times at Orwell Park are special occasions. We pride ourselves on providing good quality home cooked nutritious food using, where possible, the finest locally sourced ingredients to create meals which are attractive and popular with the children. Some of our vegetables are grown on what was the original Orwell Park estate.
We work closely with our suppliers to ensure that they are regulated and registered under the Food Standards Agency and meet all their guidelines. We regularly inspect our suppliers at their premises and work with them to ensure that their produce is meeting our high standards as well.
Where possible we will recognise international cuisine, which is always popular with full boarders, and often aligns with festivals and feast days.
View menus
Chapel
Orwell Park School has a broad Christian ethos with weekly Chapel services that welcome those of all faiths or none.
Our Chaplain, Reverend Father John Thackray, is an active member of the School community, speaking at events such as our annual Commemoration and Leavers Services, as well as at our weekly Chapel gathering, which also provides a regular performing opportunity for our Chapel Choir.
