Page 21 - StudyTravel Magazine October 2025 Issue

S E C O N D AR Y F OCU S
SECONDARY FOCUS

AGENT PARTNERSHIPS

Agents play a vital role in bridging well-being and academic success.”
the gap between school and home. Bodwell values agents who “maintain
Kayla says they can “help families close contact with both the families
understand the importance of staying and our team, helping us address con-
connected with their child’s school cerns quickly and collaboratively”.
community” and encourage regular Meanwhile, for HSI, the expectation
communication with advisors, house- is that agents will “be more rigorous in
parents, and other support staff. vetting students” and ensure open-

Natalie describes the crucial rela- ness about any existing challenges so
tionship as “a three-way collabora- schools can prepare appropriate sup-
tion between the agent, the port in advance. The relation-
school, and the family, ship between schools,
all working together to agents, and students
ensure the student’s remains paramount.

HSI takes a hands-on For HSI, arrival suffered

approach during this stage. support extends from isolation
“We have now employed local beyond the school during the
student counsellors with more per- to include host pandemic and have
sonal links to schools and host fami- families. “We devote not really learned how
lies,” says Declan. These counsellors a lot of time to working to make friendships

reduce the ratio of students per staff with our host families and how to communicate…
member and focus on regular one-to- to identify issues and work on many parents do not know how
one meetings to identify and address solutions,” says Declan. to handle this and are reluctant to
any early signs of struggle. When it comes to wellbeing engage in conversations.”
Sustained pastoral care is also a challenges, it is evident that academic A shared theme among educators
priority. Kayla describes a “strong pressure and mental health concerns is the belief that wellbeing should
network that includes the student’s are on the rise. Kayla notes “trends be addressed before problems arise.
advisor, houseparents, and residential related to academic stress, anxiety, Whether it’s Rothesay Netherwood
student leaders,” with a wellness and the pressures students place on School’s limits on mobile phone use
team, learning strategist, and EAL themselves,” while Natalie points out to foster in-person connections,
teachers stepping in if additional that “mental health struggles do sadly Taunton’s small tutor groups and
support is needed. occur” and require a mix of proactive 24-hour health support, Bodwell’s
Natalie explains that Taunton’s and reactive measures. multilingual communication with
system includes “regular one-on- families, or HSI’s reduced student-to-
one sessions with tutors” as well as “Pastoral care is counsellor ratios, these institutions
access to a 24-hour health centre paramount, with student are investing in structures that put
staffed by counsellors and mental happiness, health, and international student welfare first.

health nurses. She adds that, safety being our priority” As Kayla sums up: “We don’t wait
“Pastoral care is paramount, with for a problem to surface; instead,
student happiness, health, and safety At Bodwell, the team has seen “a we have multiple layers of care and
being our priority.” slight increase in stress related to support in place from the moment
Bodwell’s counsellors and teachers academic performance and adapting a student joins our community.”
maintain close contact with students to a new cultural environment – For international families, that
throughout the semester, “often in especially among younger students commitment can make all the

their native language,” and ensure or those away from home for the first difference in ensuring not only a
that academic progress, personal time.” Meanwhile, Declan highlights a successful academic experience, but

wellbeing, and family communication significant post-pandemic challenge: a happy and healthy one too.
are all aligned. “We think that students aged 15/16 on delilah@studytravel.network
18 STUDYTRAVEL MAGAZINE Photos: Bodwell High School