At Tealby Primary School, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff. 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 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 in order to promote self-esteem

- 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

- Helping children to understand their emotions and feelings better and to feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries

- Helping children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks

We offer different levels of support:

Universal Support - To meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and our wider curriculum. For instance, developing resilience for all.

Additional support - For those who may have short term needs and those who may have been made vulnerable by life experiences such as bereavement. 

Targeted support - For pupils who need more differentiated support and resources or specific targeted interventions such as wellbeing groups or personal mentors.

Lead staff members to contact if you are concerned about your child’s mental health:

Mrs Humberstone (Headteacher/Safeguarding & Senior Mental Health Lead)

Mrs Haslam (SENDCO)

Mr Brown (Pastoral Lead)

Mrs Carter ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant).

What do we currently do for mental health and wellbeing for our pupils and staff?

We have a designated Mental Health and Well Being Lead in school that is responsible for promoting wellbeing for our staff and pupils (Mrs Humberstone).

We have a designated trained ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant), Mrs Carter, who delivers nurture groups for pupils, such as small group ‘time to talk’ social skills work, resilience skills, 'it’s good to be me' groups and 1:1 check in with pupils in liaison with our SENDCo.

In each class we have worry boxes for pupils to share their worries with a safe adult. We also have worry monsters in the Well-being corner and can be used for children to share their worries.

We have nominated school class ambassadors in each class to represent their peers and gain feedback in class assemblies.

We hold extra half-termly meetings for pupils who need more regular meetings to support their needs. At times there may be daily/weekly ‘check-ins’ too.

We have parents’ SENDCO forum surveys for parents to share their concerns and worries.

We have email addresses for all teaching staff so parents can email concerns or worries directly.

We have home/school communication books for pupil’s who require more regular updates.

We have move up days, extra transition sessions and meet the teacher sessions for when a pupil is finding a class move difficult.

We have an allocated buddies for all new pupils. Additionally, Y6 pupils look out for our new starters in Reception each year too at lunch and break times.

We have a lunchtime drop ins for pupils to be able to chat/share their worries with an adult.

We have Key Stage 2 children as playground-leader’s/sports coaches to support younger children in positive play.

We have physical lunchtime clubs and are developing quieter lunchtime clubs to promote mental health and wellbeing and support for pupils who find busy lunchtimes stressful.

We have mental health and wellbeing trained staff in order to support pupils with their needs.

We have positive behaviour systems in place to promote positive social behaviour.

We have mental health and wellbeing assemblies through our PSHE curriculum to promote resilience and self-management.

We have a PSHE curriculum that helps pupils to build important life skills, such as learning to learn, habits of mind and the growth mindset.

Our ethos is to promote supporting the development of skills and character traits such as perseverance, compassion and teamwork.

We have a Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy for our school.

We are developing a Staff Well-being Charter.

Positive Experiences

Our school offers pupils many opportunities to do physical activities as well as opportunities to relax which both are ways to promote wellbeing and positive mental health.

Our Outdoor Curriculum (Forest School/Woodland learning/Forest Bathing/Maths on the Move/ Woodwork/Art in Nature)

Lunch games to play outside.

Library open and children encouraged to take books to read

Active Learning through the curriculum

Nurture Groups, such as FRIENDS

Home Learning Projects and school community events such as charity walks & runs/Eggtastic

Themed Days

Residential visits (KS1-2_

Educational day visits

Before and after school clubs

Activities such as yoga and mindfulness.

Celebrating Success

We like to celebrate our many successes together by:

Posting achievements in the newsletter/website/FB page to celebrate

Displaying pupil’s work

Celebration Assembly each week – Star/Value award

Class Assemblies

School newsletters

Positive Purple Slips and House points

Curriculums

The school follows the DfE guidelines for the teaching of Mental Health and Wellbeing in the following ways:

Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE) scheme of work – JIGSAW

Active Learning – Maths on the Move/Daily Mile/Yoga Bugs

Assemblies and theme days

Forest School and Outdoor Learning Curriculum