Wellbeing at Our Lady & St Patrick's
We have a three-tiered graduated approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing here at Our Lady and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School.
Every child benefits from daily whole class wellbeing sessions ‘Calm Start’ and for this, we use a mix of approaches including yoga, meditation, mindfulness, guided relaxation, therapeutic stories, problem solving, exploring feelings and emotions.
At the core of each of these approaches is the importance of giving children an emotional vocabulary, the time and space to listen and reflect on how they feel and a set of tools to help them move to a more positive set of feelings when sadness, frustration, anger, loneliness, grief are experienced.
Our Three-Tiered Approach to Positive Mental Health
Other ways in which we promote Health and Wellbeing in School include:
a Designated Mental Health Lead, Mrs Goodfellow and Deputy Designated Mental Health Lead, Miss Foster;
a team of trained Youth Mental Health First Aiders;
all staff trained in Understanding Mental Health
Three specialist, wellbeing rooms, The Nest, The Den and The Snug;
two specially-trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant's (ELSA);
a professional counsellor, who runs one-to-one sessions with specific children;
whole school assembly themes to promote and support SEMH;
worry boxes and slips around the school for children to easily request support from a trusted adult;
circle time sessions in all year groups;
annual workshop sessions with 'The Education Life Bus'
annual workshops, events and assemblies run by NSPCC staff;
a comprehensive range of health and sporting activities across the curriculum and in after-school clubs
a behaviour system that employs a restorative approach and a reward system (using class dojo) that encourages children to embody our school values to be kind, caring and considerate towards others.
Six Top Tips to Support Wellbeing
Useful Links
Sources of support:
Mental Health Crisis Team: 0300 500 0927
CALM Helpline: 0800 585 858
Young Minds Parents Helpline: 0808 802 5544
Hopeline UK: 0800 068 4141