The British School of Barcelona - Castelldefels Campus

The British School of Barcelona places wellbeing at the heart of school life. There are designated pastoral and wellbeing leaders and a wellbeing room for KS3 and KS4, with students knowing who to talk to if they have concerns. Staff development includes mental health first aid training as part of Thinking Thursdays and other CPD to support mental health. The school uses a specialised software package to record concerns and support pupil welfare across sites. The overall approach emphasises a supportive, inclusive environment that promotes student resilience and positive relationships.

The school has a Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) policy. The Learning Support Lead has day‑to‑day responsibility for SEND and coordinates provision with staff, parents and external professionals. The school uses a graduated SEND approach with Wave 1 universal support, Wave 2 targeted support and Wave 3 specialist provision, and maintains a SEND Register. Early identification and ongoing assessment guide provision, including for pupils with EAL who may also have SEND. The Headteacher has overall responsibility for SEND and staff are supported to differentiate teaching and adjust provision, with information shared with receiving schools on transfer.

The school publishes an English as an Additional Language (EAL) policy. EAL is defined as a pupil whose first language is not English, encompassing those who are fully bilingual and those at varying stages of learning English. EAL pupils may be newly arrived from abroad or from different schooling contexts and will require varying levels of provision. An EAL Coordinator leads provision, with a central register and baseline assessments to guide support; provision is tracked and reviewed, and staff receive ongoing professional development to support language development. Provision may include withdrawal from lessons when appropriate, while ensuring full access to the curriculum, and parents are informed about the specifics of EAL support.

Mental wellbeing is a core focus; there are Wellbeing Leaders and a Wellbeing Room to support student welfare. Staff undertake mental health first aid training as part of ongoing professional development, including through Thinking Thursdays. The wellbeing approach is integrated with pastoral care to support emotional health and resilience, with systems to help students talk to trusted adults about concerns. Safeguarding and pastoral structures work together to monitor and promote mental wellbeing and early intervention when needed.

A Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy (September 2025) guides safeguarding and pupil welfare. The Child Protection Coordinator (CPC) leads safeguarding and online safety, with Deputy CPCs to support; the CPC coordinates referrals to external agencies and liaises with local authorities, case managers and staff. All staff receive safeguarding and online safety training, including an annual safeguarding refresher, and the policy is reviewed annually and made publicly available to parents. The policy sets out key contacts at each campus and outlines staff responsibilities, with Cognita's safeguarding reviews incorporated into the governance framework.