North London Collegiate School has been awarded the Wellbeing Award for Schools, recognising the depth and maturity of our whole-school approach to emotional wellbeing and mental health.
The award follows a detailed verification process which praised the School’s strategic commitment to wellbeing, its strong pastoral culture, and the way NLCS connects pastoral care, academic ambition and student voice in a coherent whole-school approach.
At NLCS, we know that students do their best work when they feel known, supported and encouraged. This accreditation reflects the care and thought that sit behind so much of school life, from the relationships students build with their Class Teachers, Form Tutors and pastoral teams, to the opportunities they have to speak openly, seek support with confidence and help shape the environment in which they learn and grow.
Student voice was central to the accreditation, as the report highlighted NLCS’ ‘Listening to Pupils’ Policy and wider culture of consultation as evidence of a school where students are active contributors to the pastoral culture around them. Students involved in the verification spoke with striking thoughtfulness about wellbeing, describing it as “what you are feeling but not showing” and “how to keep yourself motivated”. They spoke warmly about one-to-one conversations with staff, the importance of having spaces for rest, reflection and support, and the close relationships with teachers that help them feel known. One student captured the spirit of the School warmly: “everyone has a special place here”.
This culture of listening has led to thoughtful refinement. Recent surveys show that overall student wellbeing is very strong, while also giving us valuable insight into the rhythms and pressures of student life. Feedback around homework, for example, prompted a review of expectations and further staff training around workload, helping to ensure that academic ambition is supported by careful pastoral judgement.
The verification also recognised The Bright Side, a student-led wellbeing magazine founded and edited by Year 12 student Amara, which covers subjects including sleep, the politics of mental health, screen breaks and motivation. The report described it as a thoughtful example of students helping to normalise open, intelligent and generous conversation about mental health across the School.
The report noted the practical impact of this preventative approach across the school community. Students are increasingly confident in recognising how they feel and in seeking support early, while staff are equipped through more targeted professional development and a more active Staffroom Committee is helping to shape staff wellbeing. Stronger relationships with local services and parents have also strengthened the wider network of care around each student, giving NLCS a sustainable framework for continued development.
Vicky Bingham said: “This award reflects the intrinsic link between wellbeing and academic success. NLCS is a highly aspirational school, and aspiration flourishes best in an environment where students feel known, supported and encouraged. People sometimes wonder whether ambitious girls’ schools are hothouses. My experience of them in the 21st century is much closer to greenhouses: places where young people are given the right conditions to grow.
“I would like to congratulate our whole pastoral team, ably led by Nicola Dawson and Katie Bartram, for their outstanding work in achieving this accreditation. I am also delighted that the work of our Class Teachers in the Junior School and Form Tutors in the Senior School was recognised as intrinsic to making our students feel known.”
The award is a moment of recognition for work that is already deeply embedded at NLCS, and it gives the School a strong framework for continued development, ensuring that wellbeing remains a living part of our intellectual, pastoral and community life.
