At St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Primary School, we know that our role is to ensure that children and staff can manage times of change and stress, and that they are supported to flourish, reach their potential or access help when they need it. We believe mental health to be of the same importance as physical health and recognise the need to support both our children and our staff with this. 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.
As a school, we provide an ideal environment for promoting good emotional wellbeing and identifying early behaviour changes and signs of mental distress. The social and emotional skills, knowledge and behaviours that young people learn in the classroom can help them to build resilience and set the pattern for how they will manage their mental health throughout their lives. Emotional wellbeing is a clear indicator of academic achievement, success and satisfaction in later life. Evidence shows that mental health and wellbeing programmes in schools, can lead to significant improvements in children’s mental health, and social and emotional skills. Wellbeing provision in schools can also lead to reductions in classroom misbehaviour and bullying.
If you have any questions or comments about how we support our school community with mental health and wellbeing then please contact Mrs Russell (Learning Mentor), Mrs Webster (Health and Wellbeing Lead), Mrs Bakstad (Senior Health and Wellbeing Lead) or Mrs Rice (SENDCo) via the school office on 0151 288 8940 or on the following email address: standrewapostle@knowsley.gov.uk
Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Team
Senior Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead: Mrs Bakstad (Business Manager)
Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead: Mrs Webster (Head teacher)
Learning Mentor and ELSA – Emotional Language Support Assistant: Mrs Russell
SENDCo: Mrs Rice
What is Mental Health and Wellbeing?
To avoid ambiguity or confusion, as a school community we use the World Health Organisation’s definition of mental health and wellbeing “a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”.
Whole School Approach
We take a whole school approach to promoting positive mental health and ensuring the children are positive, resilient and able to deal with the stresses of the school day. We recognise the stigma behind talking about mental health and aim to create a school environment which is open and supportive with a positive culture where children and staff feel comfortable discussing a range of issues.
At St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Primary school we strive for children and staff to:
- Feel confident in themselves and realise their own abilities
- Cope with the stresses of everyday life
- Work productively and being able to learn and achieve
- Be able to express a range of emotions appropriately
- Be able to make and maintain positive relationships with others and make a contribution to their community
- Manage times of stress and be able to deal with change
Strategies
There are many strategies we can all use to promote positive mental health which give us the opportunity to take control back of our anxiety or stress.
See other attached links below to resources and websites.
Our Children
Promoting pupil wellbeing is more than just helping children to achieve academically. A child’s wellbeing could be the key to their current and future happiness. With this in mind, we are determined to support our children in every way possible, to ensure that they are provided with the best start to their life and are fully equipped with the tools to manage their thoughts, emotions and wellbeing.
We feel the social and emotional skills, knowledge and behaviours that children can learn in our school can help them build resilience and set the patterns for how they will manage their mental health throughout their lives.
Influenced by our Christian values and our curriculum, we provide a supportive and caring environment where each individual is valued and is driven by an ethos of respect and kindness. We have high expectations for all of our children, and we know they all have the potential to do well in all aspects of life.
We have trained staff and a range of resources and activities available within school to support our children, and we also work closely with a variety of external services to provide further support where and when necessary.
Within school our Pupil Peer Mentors – Buddies have received training to support other pupils in sign posting to strategies or other adults within school.
Our Staff
Positive staff wellbeing is at the centre of a successful school. At St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Primary School we work together as a team, where everyone’s voice and thoughts are heard, where everyone is valued and where we all actively work towards the same vision and ethos.
We are regularly provided with opportunities to express our thoughts on school events, actions and policies, and our leadership team will constantly seek and consider opportunities to support the wellbeing of our team.
We understand that people may face challenges at certain times in their life. As a school, just as we would for our children, we aim to form an effective supportive network for all of our staff. Where they know we will do everything we can to ensure they receive the relevant support and advice needed, however big or small the ‘hurdle’ may be.
Our Community
We are proud of the relationships we have with the school community and feel this plays a big contributing factor to the whole school experience. These positive relationships are at the heart of our school, with both the adults and our children, and they are formed through our inclusive and supportive culture.
We appreciate the open and supportive conversations we are able to have with our families, and we continue to be an ‘open door’ to them when they are in need of support and guidance. Our aim will always be to work collaboratively with our community, to ensure our families get the support they require and deserve.
Please, always get in touch with a member of staff or one of the Mental Health and Wellbeing support team. We are here to help and will do everything we can to assist you.
Developmental Trauma Training
All teaching staff have participated in Trauma training through Knowsley Mental Health Team, which has helped to develop a culture amongst staff that all children may have experienced some trauma in their lives that they are not able to share or discuss. This has allowed staff to take trauma informed approaches to supporting children when they can sense that there is a greater need for support. This is all backed up through our daily emotional check-ins, as they are a great way to find out if a child is ready to learn, or whether they may need time to explore their emotions and talk to an adult first. Staff are also aware of how trauma in a child can look very similar to the characteristics of a child with ASC or ADHD, so this has helped to support SEND referrals for children and ensure that the right support has been offered when it is required.
Spirituality enables our children to be happy, flourish and succeed and live life in all its fullness. At St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Primary School, spirituality extends beyond SMSC, Worship Time, RE and RHSE and the ‘awe and wonder moment’. Spirituality influences all areas of our curriculum and provision to develop children’s character and wider development.
Connection with yourself …
- Showing self-awareness,
- Developing confidence,
- Understanding a sense of worth,
- Understanding and demonstrating values and beliefs,
- Being aware and learning to manage feelings.
Such as …
- Listening to your favourite music.
- Mindfulness or Yoga to be present in the moment.
- Writing down what makes you happy.
- Taking time to be thankful and writing this down.
PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education)
At St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Primary School, we teach PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) through a programme devised by the PSHE Association.
We have a whole school approach to PSHE which enables us to build on these essential foundations for our children from the Early Years (Nursery and Reception) all the way through to Year 6. We fundamentally believe that these foundations are crucial for children to achieve their best both academically and socially.
This is a rigorous programme that not only incorporates the PSHE curriculum but also focuses on children’s mental health and wellbeing under the themes of: Relationships, Health and Wellbeing, Living in the wider world. These lessons provide children with opportunities to reflect on their personal lives and respond through discussion as well as personal thinking time to the impact their learning has on them.
Early Help Strategy
As part of our support for all children in school we have regular opportunities to consult with support services and health agencies through a multi-agency approach which sometimes includes completing the Early Help Form which supports families as well as children.
Mrs Russell is our ‘Early Help Co-ordinator’ and available to speak to at the school office.