Feel Good Friday is a school-wide celebration of wellbeing, where everyone feels valued, supported and connected.

The initiative is designed to infuse a sense of community, wellbeing and joy into our school environment, providing pupils and staff alike the chance to reflect, connect and re-energize. With the pressures of course work, exams, social responsibilities and future planning it can be easy to become overwhelmed and allow stress to build up throughout the week. Feel Good Friday aims to counterbalance that by making wellbeing a priority, bringing everyone together for activities that promote both mental and physical wellbeing. 

The Importance of Wellbeing in Schools

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the importance of wellbeing, especially in schools.

Research shows that when pupils and staff prioritise mental health, they experience improvements in learning outcomes, resilience and overall happiness. Feel Good Friday is our way of reminding everyone in our school community that their health and happiness are essential and valued. 

How Feel Good Friday Works

Feel Good Friday offers a range of activities, ensuring that there is something for everyone from Nursery through to the Upper School to enjoy and benefit from. 

Feeling Cultural 

This event celebrates diversity. Pupils and staff are encouraged to wear traditional cultural attire or colours of their national flag(s). In the Nursery and Lower School, pupils enjoy class based activities to explore and appreciate our rich diversity. In the Upper School we host an international food fair with traditional dishes prepared by our school community, representing over 30 nationalities.

Feeling Active – Clan Dancercise 

This event encourages teamwork, physical activity and collaboration across the year groups. Pupils and staff are encouraged to wear activewear. The day encompasses the highly popular Clan Dancercise which is an annual competition where each of the School’s Clans performs a dance routine, choreographed by pupils, to the rest of the school and nursery. Open to S1-S6, pupils of each Clan work together to create an unforgettable routine. In the Nursery and Lower School, pupils get involved in yoga and dancing activities in the playground.

Feeling Festive 

Bringing joy, connection and a generous dose of festive spirit to our community, everyone is encouraged to wear festive jumpers and take part in Clan singing. There are impromptu music concerts in the morning, with festive singing and playing from staff and pupils. We also support the Instant Neighbour Gifting tree appeal and have a selection box collection. In previous years we have collected over 300 selection boxes which have been donated to a range of local charities.

Feeling Charitable 

A day dedicated to giving back, fostering kindness and building a sense of community. We host an annual food bank drive for our chosen charity. 

Feel Good Friday is not just for pupils; teachers, support staff, parents and guardians are all encouraged to participate. By setting time aside to recognise our wellbeing we are doing more than just adding fun to the end of the week, we’re building resilience, fostering connection and reinforcing positive habits that extend beyond the school.

Prioritising mental health is more important than ever and initiatives like Feel Good Friday remind us that wellbeing is not just a goal, it’s a way of life.

Annual dates:

Feeling Active – October 

Feeling Cultural – November 

Feeling Festive – December 

Feeling Charitable –  January