Mental Health and Wellbeing

St Andrew’s C of E Primary School

Growing Learners to Live in God’s World

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Romans 5:4

As a school, our inclusive approach to teaching and learning intends to develop, in all children, a love of learning, skills for life, good self-esteem and belief in their abilities. This is underpinned by our school principles of Wisdom, Grace and Hope.

The Emotional Health and Well-Being Team

Jennifer Wise: Head of School, Mental Heath and Well-Being Lead

Lizzie Cooper: SENDCo

Jennifer D'Urban-Jackson: Emotional Literacy Support Assistant, pastoral Assistant

Richard Poole: Pastoral Governor

Kate Trolley: SEN Governor

Mental Health and Wellbeing Health at St Andrew's

At our school we know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play. At our school we:

Help children to understand their emotions and feelings better
Help children feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
Help children socially to form and maintain relationships
Promote self-esteem and ensure children know that they count
Encourage children to be confident well-rounded citizens
Help children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks

We promote a mentally healthy environment through:

Promoting our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging.
Promoting pupil voice and opportunities to participate in decision-making
Celebrating academic and non-academic achievements
Providing opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others
Providing opportunities to reflect
Access to appropriate support that meets their needs

We pursue our aims through:

Universal, whole school approaches
Support for pupils going through recent difficulties including bereavement.
Specialised, targeted approaches aimed at pupils with more complex or long term difficulties including attachment disorder

We also run a range of clubs and extra-curricular activities, designed to support and improve pupils' wellbeing, such as gardening club.

In addition to promoting positive mental health and well-being, we aim to recognise and respond to need as it arises. By developing and implementing practical, relevant and effective mental health and well-being policies and procedures we can promote a safe and stable environment for pupils affected both directly, and indirectly by mental health and wellbeing issues.

At St Andrew's, all children participate in the Zones of Regulation programme which teaches children important life skills in recognising and managing emotions, feelings and behaviour, and can adapt to changing situations. Children and staff use shared language to discuss their emotions and their choices. Children are provided with a whole class 'Getting to my Green zone' toolkit and some children are able to access their own personalised calming Table Top Toolkits.

Click on the links below to learn more. You can also find various videos on our school YouTube Zones of Regulation Playlist.

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Parents

Your class teacher and The Wellbeing team at St Andrew’s want to hear from you about what is working for your child and what could be better. Please remember to always ask: we want to help! You are encouraged to make appointments with us to discuss any concerns you may have about your child's progress or any issues you feel are relevant to school life. The Wellbeing team will keep you informed about any concerns we have, or any important updates about your child.

West Sussex Mind are offering free workshops for parents and carers of children and young people to help support their child's mental health.

As a parent we often find ourselves ill-equipped when it comes to dealing with, or even being aware of, our child's or young person's mental wellbeing, but help is at hand. West Sussex Mind are running a series of friendly, confidential and relaxed workshops where we will learn about the challenges to young people's mental health, gain confidence in having conversations about how they are feeling and thinking and explore ways to help your young person with any emotional difficulties.