Mental Health and Wellbeing

Taking just five minutes every day to focus on something which you enjoy, makes you feel at peace, or provides that little bit of time to switch off has a real impact on our well-being. We have put together a few ideas of mindfulness which may help to support our families during this challenging time.

gonoodle.com

https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga

Have some fantastic guided yoga, movement and breathing exercises to try.

Free Calm Pack Stay calm with Relax Kids

Pupils' Wellbeing

At the AnDaras Trust, it is our vision that all children are entitled to develop to their fullest potential academically, socially, emotionally into healthy human beings, enabling each child to grow in confidence and be able to fully participate in everything that goes on in the wider community with confidence.

It is widely recognised that a child’s emotional health and wellbeing influences their cognitive development and learning. This also impacts on their physical and social health and their mental wellbeing into adulthood.

The Department for Education recognises that, in order to help pupil’s, succeed, schools have a role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy. Schools can be a place for pupils to experience a nurturing and supportive environment that has the potential to develop self-esteem and give positive experiences for overcoming adversity and building resilience.

For some, school will be a place of respite from difficult home lives and offer positive role models and relationships, which are critical in promoting children’s wellbeing and can help engender a sense of belonging and community.

Our role in school is to ensure that children are able to manage times of change and stress, and that they are supported to reach their potential or access help when they need it. We also have a role to ensure that children learn about what they can do to maintain positive mental health, what affects their mental health, how they can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and where they can go if they need help and support. Please see our PSHE page in our curriculum section for more information on where it is explicitly taught.

At St Stephens Community Academy, we follow the Trauma Informed Schools (TIS) approach in line with our Rights Respecting (Rights of the Child) approach. Both of these, support pupils' wellbeing.

Wellbeing and mental health strategies are promoted and embedded on a daily basis as well as additional supporting sessions, e.g. mindfulness sessions, gardening groups, music nurture groups and we shall be introducing a 'Cosy Club' in the Spring term.

We are delighted that Nicky Gonoude, who is a Education Mental Health Practitioner, works with us weekly in school. This can be in the form of whole class, group and individual/family support. We are currently trialing a new project called 'Decider Skills'.

The Decider Skills enable you to:

Face common life challenges
Make sense of problems
Make positive changes in how you think and react
Tolerate distress
Be more mindful

We shall also be taking part in the School's Health Education project this year Children & Young People Survey 2023 and will share the results when released.

Our pupil voice is a high priority and respected. Please talk to your child's class teacher initially if you have any concerns about your child's mental health.

Staff Wellbeing It is recognised that promoting staff health and emotional well-being should be an integral part of the whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. Therefore, training and signposting to materials about mental health and emotional wellbeing is made available for all staff.

An open-door policy to senior leadership is always made available if staff need to speak to someone about any issues of concern; we also have a fully committed and supportive governing body. Supervision and appraisal will allow for mutual communication about personal health and emotional wellbeing if both felt it is deemed necessary.

For more information, refer to

ADMAT Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing Policy 01-2021 [Review 01-2023].pdf

'Perfectly Norman' by Tom Percival - A lovely story that explores different feelings, read by Mrs Hooper.

Perfectly Norman.mp4

RK Express Yourself Cards.pdf

RK Express Yourself Activities.pdf

happiness_pack.zip

The Bunting Project Template.pdf

Mindfulness_Exercises (3).pdf

Scavenger_hunt (2).pdf

Yoga_cards (1).pdf

Mindfulness_activities_-_Amber_Owen (1).pdf