We strive to support the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff. We recognise that everyone experiences life challenges and as a result, anyone may need additional emotional support.

At our school we:

  • help children to understand their emotions and feelings.
  • 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 their thoughts and opinions are valued.
  • help children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks through developing a Growth Mindset.

The emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Things that can help keep children and young people mentally well include:

  • Being in good physical health, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise
  • Having time and the freedom to play, indoors and outdoors
  • Being part of a family that gets along well most of the time
  • Going to a school that looks after the wellbeing of all its pupils
  • Taking part in local activities for young people.

Other factors are also important, including:

  • Feeling loved, trusted, understood, valued and safe
  • Being interested in life and having opportunities to enjoy themselves
  • Being hopeful and optimistic
  • Being able to learn and having opportunities to succeed
  • Accepting who they are and recognising what they are good at
  • Having a sense of belonging in their family, school and community
  • Feeling they have some control over their own life
  • Having the strength to cope when something is wrong (resilience) and the ability to solve problems.

As part of our commitment to mental health, we have invested in training our own ELSA

What is an ELSA

An ELSA is a specialist teaching assistant with a wealth of experience of working with children. ELSAs are trained and regularly supervised by the Educational Psychologists. An ELSA is a warm and caring person who wants to help your child feel happy in school and to reach their potential educationally. Their aim is to remove the barriers to learning and to have happy children in school and at home.

Miss Fisher is our qualified Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs).

There will always be children and young people in school facing life challenges that detract from their ability to engage with learning, and some will require greater support to increase their emotional literacy than others. When our children find themselves struggling and encounter difficulties with their emotional health our ELSA will be there to listen, provide additional TLC and support them. To do this they plan and deliver programmes of support and these can be delivered on an individual basis, but sometimes small group work is more appropriate, especially in the areas of social and ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​friendship skills.

Our ELSA can help with:

Loss and bereavement

Self-esteem

Social Skills

Emotions

Friendship issues

Relationships

Anger Management

Anxiety

Conflict

Relaxation Techniques

Elsa leaflet for staff and parents

Useful Links for parents:

Every Mind Matters

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/childrens-mental-health

Young-Minds

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents

Save the Children – Relaxation techniques stress-busters-from-our-heart-program (1)

https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/coronavirus/resources/learning-at-home/relaxation-exercises-to-do-at-home-with-your-kids

Action for Children

https://parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/emotional-wellbeing

NSPCC

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/mental-health-parenting

Barnardos

https://www.barnardos.org.uk/support-hub/emotional-wellbeing