Wellbeing

Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health 

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Rygaards is continuously developing systems and structures to promote emotional wellbeing and positive mental health across the whole-school community. We were successfully accredited by the Wellbeing Award for Schools (WAS) team in June 2024.  

Over 1000 schools are accredited through WAS and 93% of accredited schools report a large or medium impact on student, staff and parent wellbeing.  

There were many strengths identified during the verification process and this verification is just a part of our journey at Rygaards to further promote emotional wellbeing and positive mental health.  

Our Vision 

At Rygaards International School, we promote, develop, equip and prepare healthy learners for life. We are committed, through our policies, to make it our mission to promote resilience, positive wellbeing and mental health for all our students and staff. 

We understand wellbeing to be a state of being confident, fulfilled and healthy. We aim to drive this message forward, and to ensure that mental health and emotional wellbeing is the responsibility of the whole school community. We strive to create a safe and secure environment which provides excellent mental health support, appropriate intervention and shows understanding. We aspire to put wellbeing at the heart of our school in our quest for successful learning. 

Our Strategy 

At Rygaards International School, we aim to promote positive mental health for every student, member of staff and stakeholder. We promote positive wellbeing through the school’s values, beliefs, policies and actions which are embedded within the school, the wider community and curriculum.  

The Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health strategy aims to:    

• Promote positive mental health in all staff and students   
• Increase understanding and awareness of common mental health issues   
• Alert staff to early warning signs of poor mental health   
• Provide support to staff working with young people with mental health issues   
• Provide support to students suffering mental ill health. 
    

Read more in this document:

Our Actions 

Our work to promote emotional wellbeing and positive mental health includes: 

• Committing to clear strategy that further promotes emotional wellbeing and mental health as a part of the school’s Strategic and Action Plans 
• Ensuring that emotional wellbeing and mental health is regarded as the responsibility of all  
• Training for staff so they are confident in responding to the needs of each pupil 
• Working with the whole school community to support emotional wellbeing and mental health 
• Ensuring systems and external partnerships are in place to support different types of emotional and mental health needs.  
• Actively promoting emotional wellbeing and mental health for Rygaards staff 

Information about How to Access Help and Support 

You can find information about how to access help and support available, both internally at Rygaards School and from other local and national services in this document:

We always strongly encourage parents to keep school informed of any support in place, so we can work together with parents to support your child. 

School nurse

Rygaards School is serviced by two health nurses from Gentofte municipality’s health service. The health nurses serve the international and the Danish department respectively.

The health nurse’s offer is a combination of conversations, examinations and teaching.

The conversations deal with health issues of importance to the child. Depending on the age group, relevant topics concerning health and the child’s/young person’s own experience of well-being, health, and health habits are discussed. The conversations will take place individually or in small groups.

The health nurse’s offer depends on the individual child’s needs, but always includes:

• Year 1: a conversation and examination of vision, hearing,  growth and motor skills. 
• Year 3: a conversation and growth . 
• Year 5: a conversation, growth and examination of vision. 
• Year 9: a conversation and examination of vision, hearing and growth. 
• Years 10 and 11: Sex education 
• If necessary, further interviews and examinations are offered. 

If treatment is needed, referral is given to the relevant professional group. 

Contact your health nurse

Children, teenagers, and parents are always welcome to contact the health nurse.

The school nurse (Sofie Rosenberg) is at Rygaards School every Thursday.

Telephone inquiry: 51 39 82 26, by email: spro@gentofte.dk, or through Intra.

It is the policy of the school that the instructions/orders of the responsible Danish health authorities are followed.