Importance of Mental Health

 

We believe that children's mental health and well-being is the foundation on which  academic success is built . We believe that ensuring our pupils are mentally well and emotionally stable allows them to flourish in all areas of the curriculum. As a school we promote and cater for children's emotional well-being through the use of ELSA, well-being first aid kits, a range of alternative therapies and a bespoke package of interventions to secure this.

 

If you have any concerns about your child's mental health, please come in and speak to their teacher.

 

Alexia Adrianopoulos

Philanthropist supporter of Wise Up

Growing up today seems to be harder than ever.

Children and young people face a host of novel

stressors that I cannot even purport to understand.

In a confusing, addictive, 24-hour online world,

young people need new tools and more support.

An estimated three children in every classroom suffer

from a diagnosable mental health problem; I was one

of them. Behind those numbers is a general trend to

increased levels stress and lower levels of wellbeing.

I believe that schools are much more than centres of

learning. They can and do provide the most reliable

conduit to address this worrying trend, and only they

can set us back on track. However, for schools to

succeed in helping their students, our priorities as a

nation must be realigned, and the education system

must rebalance academic learning and emotional

wellbeing. This is what our children and young people

want, it is what our teachers and school leaders want

and it is what our parents want. More to the point, it is

what our children and young people deserve.

They deserve an excellent education that prepares

them academically and emotionally for the challenges

they will face inside the classroom, and for the world

they will enter when they graduate.

 

There is already exceptional work being done, but these

efforts remain isolated and undervalued. It should be

the opposite. Such work should be at the crux of our

educational system and recognised at the highest level.

I believe that each child deserves a dedicated place to

learn to care for their own mental health, and it is our

duty as a society to provide this. With schools at the

helm, we can create a generation of resilient, healthy

and confident individuals.

NSPCC Website - a prime resource when understanding Children's Mental Health.

Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families have produced a wonderful video entitled Talking about Mental Health - it has a forward by Kate Middleton - Duchess of Cambridge. 

Sometimes we miss the positives in life and sometimes only remember the negative ones.  Have a go at these positive message paper chains a wonderful opportunity to sit, colour and breath. 

Think of an emotion - this sheet will help you work through a time when something did not go to plan - its a great way of understanding why things happen.

We all do some sort of journey each day whether in the car, on foot or even just moving from one room to another.  Do you take in your surroundings?  What are we thankful for that we may take for granted each day?  Use your senses to list things we are grateful for.

Have you ever had a worry that needed sorting out?  What do you think will happen?  What actually did happen?

Anti-bullying week

As part of our curriculum we also cover aspects of anti-bullying each year to help children recognise and deal with behaviour they might find unacceptable.  This year we are going to wear blue for well-being.  This initiative is supported by Bullying UK and recognises that bullying has a negative impact on the emotional well-being of our children. All the school will be wearing an item or items of clothing that are blue - and that doesn't have to include the school jumper.  The colour blue was chosen because it is often considered to be symbolic of sadness and depression. These emotions are often associated with the effects of consistent bullying. However, blue can also be a symbol of peace.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

 

https://www.bullying.co.uk/wear-blue-day/wear-blue-for-wellbeing/

The theme of this year's Mental Health Awareness Week is kindness and starts today - Monday, 18th May 2020.  To be able to be kind to others you first of all need to be kind to yourself.  Enjoy picking and choosing activities throughout the week to either do on your own or with other family members either inside or outside. 

What to Do When You Worry Too Much ( A kids guide to overcoming anxiety) by Dawn Huebner is an interactive self-help book designed to guide 6-12 year olds and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques most often used in the treatment of generalised anxiety. Engaging, encouraging, and easy to follow, this book educates, motivates, and empowers children to work towards change. We have used this book at school and have found it a very useful tool.

Parental advice on anger management

 

Help with those 'hot feelings' - some tips and information for parents/guardians about managing anger in children:

http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/praise-discipline/anger-management-children

 

* * * * * * *Recommended book!* * * * * * *

 

 

An anger management story for children written by Lori Lite. Children relate to the angry octopus in this story as the sea child shows him how to take a deep breath, calm down, and manage his anger. Children love to unwind and relax with this fun exercise known as progressive muscular relaxation. This effective stress and anger management technique focuses awareness on various muscle groups and breath to create a complete resting of the mind and body. This is a great little story to help children understand that they are in control of their emotions. It focuses on the ownership of feelings and emotions and taking command of the situation. We use this book in ELSA sessions and is fun and very effective!

 

***NEW BOOK!!***

 

 

This book uses CBT at its core to help younger children understand their angry feelings and make the necessary changes to regulate their emotions. The book was written by Luke Baker, a former ELSA! The book is about The Red family and their youngest member Rory. Rory Red is very angry all of the time. He wants to change but is told by both parents that ‘It is just who you are.’ Rory wants to change and one day meets a new friend Yasmine Yellow. Yasmine shows him the way and helps him to understand how he can change.

 

The book leads the child through the different stages of anger such as triggers: ‘someone being mean to him’, ‘when he can’t go out to play because it is raining’, ‘when he isn’t allowed his dessert’. It takes the child through the physical effects of anger such as breathing heavier, his heart beating harder and faster. It also looks at Rory’s thoughts such as: ‘hit them!’ ‘break something!’ ‘say bad words!’. Yasmine helps him by suggesting different calming techniques to help him cope with his anger.

Delightful, simple illustrations that children will love. The language is simple and easy to understand. This book would be perfect for EYFS and KS1, (possibly even Lower KS2).