Wellbeing
and learning go together.
We’re a Take 5 School
On 12 November 2024 the staff in Olderfleet took part in the Take 5 steps to wellbeing ambassadors training and the High Five Friday information session. None of us guessed that exactly a year later, 12 November 2025, the EA officer who had delivered this training would be back with the staff getting ready to become the 12th principal of our school.
Following that 2024 training Mrs Godfrey had been getting started with introducing Take 5 and when Mrs Galbraith took up post the staff were more than ready to hit the ground running with the High Five Friday programme.
What is High Five?
High Five is a wellbeing programme underpinned by the knowledge that focusing on wellbeing and learning can, and should, happen at the same time. We set two Fridays a month aside as High Five Fridays and intentionally focus on the 5 aspects of Take 5. It’s not a break from academics, it’s an opportunity to explore learning in different ways with lower demands.
To find out more visit the EA High Five Resource Hub here
The High Five Principles
The core principles of High Five have long been a part of our school as they are the same as the Whole School Together programme which we have been implementing since completing the training in August 2022.
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Meet and greet with a smile every morning - Mrs Galbraith at the front door, Mrs Brownlees at the side door
Older children buddying with younger children
Playground time at morning drop off
Olderfleet Huddles
Connect and nurture sessions
Staff have breaktime with their class, both eating and playing together
Connection and Belonging Weekly Assembly
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Walks, movement breaks
Attuned responses- change the lesson if tension is rising
Partner work
Regulation backpacks (TGMC)
Connect and nurture sessions
Sensory activities
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Weekly learning journal
Restorative questions (what’s going well, what’s helping, what’s not going well, what might help)
Whole School Together activities
Wondering aloud, modelling curiosity
Reflective scripts (e.g. did that/will this make the problem bigger or smaller?)
The Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing
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![Four young boys, two holding hands, walking outside near a building with a brick wall and potted plants, wearing jackets and school uniforms.]()
Connect
We focus on everyone feeling safe and belonging in our Olderfleet family. We plan opportunities for our children to enjoy each other’s company.
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![School gymnasium with children playing on foam blocks and gymnastic equipment, decorated with colorful murals on the walls.]()
Be active
We organise opportunities for our children to experience shared joy with their peers. We protect movement time and explore a range of exercises that help us regulate.
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![Two young girls sitting outdoors by the coast, with water and blue sky in the background, enjoying a sunny day.]()
Take Notice
We intentionally plan opportunities for low demand time set aside for peace and calm. We join the dots and make sense of life. We notice what is working well for us right now.
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![A young girl with braided hair is sitting at a desk, smiling as she writes on a whiteboard with a blue marker.]()
Keep Learning
We plan space for our children to reflect on what they have learned and identify new challenges. We make sure our children see the whole Olderfleet family supporting them along their learning journey.
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![Two young girls interacting with a red mailbox near a waterfront, with industrial buildings and airplanes flying in the sky in the background.]()
Give
We intentionally make sure our children experience care in the school setting. Our children have increased opportunities to contribute to school life and our harbour community.
