Wellbeing integrates mental health (mind) and physical health (body) and helps develop a robust and positive understanding of oneself. At Aiglon, everyone is involved in their own wellbeing as well as those around them. The Wellbeing Coordinator oversees the services available at school, including the provision of counselling, and is part of a wider team of health professionals available to students and staff.
Aiglon is based on the foundations of the Christian tradition, but welcomes students from all faiths and backgrounds, or no faith.
In principle, there is no reason why anyone from any background should not attend Religious Studies lessons; however, should those committed to faiths other than Christianity hold strong objections to such teaching, the Head Master and Deputy Head (Curriculum) may discuss with their parents.
All Junior students (day students and boarders) attend the regular Sunday church services in the Aiglon Chapel. This is open to Senior Students on a voluntary basis.
Faith groups meet once a fortnight for their own special meditation or discussion time. For those who have no leaning towards any faith there also exist secular, agnostic or atheist groups.
Meditation has been a distinctive and central feature of Aiglon life since the School’s foundation. Morning meditations are held in The Hall for the Senior School and in La Baita for the Junior School. A member of staff or sometimes a Senior student gives a 5–10 minute ‘thought for the day’, with a few minutes of silence before and after the talk. There is no applause after a meditation; instead, members of our community are encouraged to congratulate or talk to the person leading the meditation personally afterwards. The silence encourages calm and quiet reflection at the beginning of the day, and provides a rare and much needed moment of stillness in a busy life. Once a week, meditation is replaced by tutor meetings. Once a fortnight faith groups meet up for their own special meditation or discussion time. For those students who have no strong leaning towards any faith there is a meditation as usual.
All students at Aiglon have a tutor whose role includes helping students when they have problems, guiding and advising them and their parents about important issues arising during their educational journey and being especially interested in all their activities. If a student is going through a difficult time, their tutor may be able to help them work out priorities and will liaise with subject teachers on their behalf. The tutor will also help students to set realistic academic targets and will go through their regular mark readings with the student. Tutors will usually be attached to a boarding house and will spend some time there each week. Students will meet with their tutor individually as well as with the rest of their tutor group on a weekly basis.
Guardians The Head Master normally appoints two students in Year 13 to be the Guardians for the year. Guardians have an important role in leading the team of School Prefects and in contributing to the smooth running of the School.
School Prefects School Prefects are Year 13 students appointed to assist in advising the Head Master and other senior members of staff and in maintaining good discipline throughout the School and the general wellbeing of the school community. Together with the House Captains, they play an important leadership role among the student body. School prefectship is open to those Year 13 students who embody in their everyday lives the School’s highest values, who display a natural self-discipline, a genuine integrity and who enjoy the respect of their fellow students (outside as well as inside their houses). Whilst the Head Master makes the final decision, the opinions of staff and students alike are taken into account by him throughout the period of leadership training and selection of Prefects and Guardians as well as for other positions of student responsibility.
House Captains The House Captains assist the Houseparents in the daily running of the boarding Houses. They play an important leadership role among the members of the House and lead the team of House Prefects. House Captains are not automatically accorded School Prefect status.
House Prefects House Prefects are appointed by the Houseparents to assist the duty staff with the efficient day-to-day running of the House. Responsibilities include assistance with running laps, bedtime and general tidiness and good order around the House.
Student Council The Senior School Student Council is a democratic body elected by students to work closely with senior staff and other student leaders and groups, for example, School Prefects and the Round Square Committee.
Student Leadership Student leadership is seen as important within Aiglon because there are hundreds of students who come from different backgrounds often with varying beliefs and values and students need leaders who they can identify with and count on. There are a number of positions of responsibility in different areas of the school where students have the opportunity, under the guidance of a staff mentor, to make a difference to the overall wellbeing of the Aiglon community.
Aiglon is committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and well-being of all our students.
In most cases, students will be encouraged to talk to their parents or guardians and be given support to do so wherever possible, except in situations where it is felt by the Designated Safeguarding Lead (currently the Deputy Head - Student Life), or other senior members of staff, that to do so would put the student at risk.
More detailed guidelines for staff and students are available from the Designated Safeguarding Lead, as well as on the wellbeing website.
Advice for Students on Seeking Help From time to time, everyone experiences difficulties and problems and at times it can be helpful to talk to someone. Aiglon encourages students to seek advice from trusted, responsible adults. Most importantly, the School wishes to foster an atmosphere of trust on campus. Although the Houseparents and tutors are there to help and advise, there may be occasions when students would prefer to talk to someone else. In such cases, there are a number of people who are willing to be contacted:
External help to talk to somebody outside Aiglon: SOS Enfants on 114 (0114 from school phone): local children’s services helpline. Calls are free and confidential and can be made in English, French or German.
Additional links you may find useful:
Healthcare at Aiglon aims to provide day to day healthcare and advice to students and staff with referral to appropriate secondary care providers. In addition, it aims to foster the concept of health as a positive state, promoting the values of healthy living as expressed in the Guiding Principles.
Medical care is provided by the Health Centre in Chalet Près Vallon below the Sports Centre. The health care team consists of six fully-qualified nurses and a nurse assistant. A generalist doctor from Aigle holds a consultation session in the Health Centre once a week during term-time. When necessary, Villars-based doctors are contacted to provide medical services and they will refer students, if needed, to local hospitals or specialists. Students with contagious or infectious diseases, or those requiring nursing care, are taken into the Health Centre for the duration of their illness. In the event that a student is involved in a serious accident or needs extended in-patient care, the Health Centre staff will always contact the parents and the Head Master as soon as full medical details are available.
Daily clinics are held in the Health Centre at times advertised in Houses and on the School Diary's introductory pages. For minor problems (headache, sore throat and so on), Houseparents supply medications. Strict regulations govern the personal possession of medications in House. Please see the section on Medication in Houses for more information.
Students requiring referrals to local doctors are usually able to walk to the village for their appointments. If immobile, too sick or very young, transportation will be provided by taxi or a member of staff. A responsible adult will accompany Junior students and whenever language problems or complexity of the case requires it. Any charges incurred will be passed on to the student’s account.
A student's health record are compiled from the information on the health certificate which is completed by parents prior to the student's arrival at Aiglon. It is also essential that the Health Centre be notified at the start of a term if a student has received any medical treatment during the holidays, so that records can be updated. All medical information is treated strictly within the confines of the globally accepted rules of patient confidentiality.
If a student is unwell, the first point of contact is the teacher (in class) or duty staff (in House). Overnight, the Houseparents should be seen in the first instance. If appropriate, the member of staff will contact the Health Centre to request advice. The duty nurse or assistant may come to collect the student, or may request that the student make his or her own way to the Health Centre for attention.
All medical appointments must be made through the Health Centre. Parents who have arranged local appointments for their child are asked to advise the Health Centre, who will then remind the student of the appointments. The same system also informs all staff that students will be absent from school for legitimate medical reasons. Appointments to medical specialists can involve extended absence from school with disruption to the routine and education of the student. Parents are therefore requested to make all routine and non-urgent medical appointments for the student outside term time.
Aiglon is able to cater for the majority of dietary needs within a balanced and healthy menu and by providing a broad choice at each meal. Vegetarian options are always available and clearly signposted. Special diets based on personal choice and cultural norms are catered for each day. Where a student, due to a medical condition, requires additional support with their diet or a special menu, parents will send the doctor’s report to the Health Centre (health@aiglon.ch) and Health Centre staff will ensure that Houseparents, teaching and expedition staff are aware of the child’s needs. Arrangements will be made to meet the student’s needs in practical terms with the caterers. We welcome and encourage dialogue between parents, the student, Houseparents, Health Centre staff and the Chef.
Health professionals (school nurses and other Health Centre staff) are bound by professional codes of conduct. This means that what a student says to a member of the Health Centre staff and other people working in, with or for the Health Centre (for example adults accompanying students to medical appointments or in sophrology sessions and so on), remains confidential within the Health Centre. When working in a group or outside the Health Centre, staff are bound by relevant school policies including the School's confidentiality policy and guidance.
Students can expect that: Their problem will be listened to in a professional, non-judgemental and confidential manner, unless it constitutes a risk to that student or another individual (in which case confidentiality and / or child protection procedures and guidance will apply). Advice will be given, which may include encouragement to share the information more widely. Sources of help will be explored, including outside support agencies and those which are internal to the Aiglon community, as appropriate.
Students should be reassured that: Their best interests will be maintained. Though staff cannot promise unconditional confidentiality, the student will be informed first and supported appropriately. The student concerned will be involved in deciding with whom information is shared. Personal information is regarded as private and should be shared with staff on a need-to-know basis only. Staff will be aware of important safeguarding and child protection procedures.
All Aiglon students have access to healthcare facilities, 24 hours a day. Each House keeps a limited stock of medications for minor ailments. If at any time the Houseparents are unable to provide relief for a discomfort, there is a duty nurse on call, 24 hours a day throughout the term. Students are not permitted to keep medicines of any description, even in small amounts, in their personal possession. There is absolutely no exception to this rule and failure to observe this will be dealt with extremely seriously as it compromises the safety of other students.
All prescribed medication must be accompanied by a written prescription in French or English from the prescribing physician. Prescription medications brought to school bearing another person’s name, or without an accompanying prescription from the doctor, will not be administered. A specific policy exists for those students being treated for attention deficit and depressive disorders.
Regular medication will be dispensed by House staff on a dose-by-dose basis. If long term medication is for any reason discontinued by the doctor, or the dosage changed, a letter should be supplied from the prescribing doctor to the Health Centre, advising of the changes. The abuse of prescription or non-prescription medication, will be treated as a serious disciplinary matter (see section on Drugs).