Mental Health and Wellbeing
At New Brancepeth Primary Academy, we believe that it is important to recognise that we all have mental health. Our mental health impacts upon the way we think, feel and act towards others.
Our mental health changes on a daily basis and also, over time, for example, within a day. Our mental health can be affected by a range of factors. It is crucial that we dedicate as much time and effort into maintaining our mental health, as we do to maintaining our physical health.
Our mental health / wellbeing affects how well we are able to cope with stress. It impacts on how we relate to others and influences the choices which we make. It also impacts upon our relationships with our family, friends, community and colleagues.
Clearly therefore, we want the children in our school to look after their mental health, as children with good mental health are able to develop their coping skills, which boosts their resilience, self-esteem and self-confidence. Good mental health allows children to understand their emotions, helps them to feel calm, and allows them to engage in tasks with a positive attitude. These factors, will all, in turn, improve academic attainment too!
How Do We Support Mental Health and Wellbeing at New Brancepeth Primary Academy?
Schools are well-placed to promote the mental health and wellbeing of children, as most children and young people spend a significant amount of time within school and with their teachers. This means that in partnership with you, school staff are ideally placed to identify children who are struggling and who require some additional support.
Zones of Regulation
We have chosen to adapt the Zones of Regulation (a way of developing self-awareness around emotions and feelings, developed by the Occupational Therapist – Leah Kuypers) as a way of encouraging children to discuss their emotions and how they are feeling. The original Zones of Regulation uses 4 colour zones:
- blue (when you are feeling low levels of alertness – sadness, sick, tired or bored for example)
- green (when you are feeling calm and alert, happy and contented)
- yellow (when our emotional state is starting to elevate a bit – you might be feeling stressed, worried or excited)
- red (when we are experiencing intense and overwhelming feelings – you might be feeling angry, terrified or panicked).
The ultimate goal is to get back to green, if the child is in a different zone and there are strategies which the children can use to get back to green.
As we are working with children from the ages of 2 – 11 years old, we decided to adapt the original Zones of Regulation to use the characters from the Pixar film – Inside Out. Our ultimate goal is to get back to ‘joy’ if children are in a different zone. Again, children are taught simple strategies to support them to get back to ‘joy’ – this might be blowing bubbles, taking a movement break, doing a mindful activity or taking deep breaths.
Throughout our school, you will see the following posters:
Children will place their name / picture on the image which represents how they are feeling. This alerts staff to children who might need some additional support and this can be provided at an appropriate time. For some children, staff will do additional 1:1 check-ins.
Children are also encouraged to develop their language about feelings, through the use of the Sizes of Feelings posters. So for example, you might be upset, sad, heartbroken or devastated. This helps children to understand that their response needs to be proportional to what has happened.
Worry Monster
In our corridor, we have a Worry Monster who eats children’s worries. Children are encouraged to write down their worries and feed them to the Worry Monster. Staff monitor worries which are placed into the Worry Monster and if needed, they can have a conversation with children around their worries.
Our PSHRE Curriculum Offer
Children at New Brancepeth Primary Academy are taught about the importance of good mental health and wellbeing via our PSHRE curriculum.
| Year 1 & 2 | – that mental wellbeing is a normal part of daily life, in the same way as physical health. about the benefits of rationing time spent online, the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices and the impact of positive and negative content online on their own and others’ mental and physical wellbeing – that bullying (including cyberbullying) has a negative and often lasting impact on mental wellbeing. that there is a normal range of emotions (e.g. happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, nervousness) and scale of emotions that all humans experience in relation to different experiences and situations – how to recognise and talk about their emotions, including having a varied vocabulary of words to use when talking about their own and others’ feelings – isolation and loneliness can affect children and that it is very important for children to discuss their feelings with an adult and seek support – it is common for people to experience mental ill health. For many people who do, the problems can be resolved if the right support is made available, especially if accessed early enough. where and how to seek support (including recognising the triggers for seeking support), including whom in school they should speak to if they are worried about their own or someone else’s mental wellbeing or ability to control their emotions (including issues arising online) |
| Year 3 & 4 | – that the internet can also be a negative place where online abuse, trolling, bullying and harassment can take place, which can have a negative impact on mental health – that bullying (including cyberbullying) has a negative and often lasting impact on mental wellbeing – that there is a normal range of emotions (e.g. happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, nervousness) and scale of emotions that all humans experience in relation to different experiences and situations – how to recognise and talk about their emotions, including having a varied vocabulary of words to use when talking about their own and others’ feelings. |
| Year 5 & 6 | – where and how to seek support (including recognising the triggers for seeking support), including whom in school they should speak to if they are worried about their own or someone else’s mental wellbeing or ability to control their emotions (including issues arising online) – the benefits of physical exercise, time outdoors, community participation, voluntary and service-based activity on mental wellbeing and happiness – simple self-care techniques, including the importance of rest, time spent with friends and family and the benefits of hobbies and interests. |
Mental Health and Wellbeing Breakfasts
Each term we hold a mental health and wellbeing breakfast.
Our first one was held in October and linked to World Mental Health Day. We also held a breakfast in January, linked to yoga and its importance in promoting mental health and wellbeing. We will also hold a breakfast in the Summer Term.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Assemblies
Every half-term we have an assembly linked to mental health and wellbeing.
The following is a list of assemblies we have planned for the academic year 2023/4:
World Mental Health Day
5 Steps to Wellbeing
How to be happy!
The importance of sleep
Moving on!
Senior Mental Health Lead
In 2021, the DfE dedicated funding towards training a member of staff in school to become a Senior Mental Health Lead to develop a whole-school approach towards mental health and wellbeing. Miss K Hodgson undertook this training in 2022, and is the Senior Mental Health Lead at New Brancepeth Primary Academy. Miss K Hodgson also holds a Youth Mental Health First Aid qualification.
If you have concerns about a child’s mental health and wellbeing, Miss K Hodgson can be contacted on the school telephone number: 0191 373 0736, or via email: k.hodgson@newbrancepethprimary.org.uk
If you have immediate concerns around a child’s mental health and wellbeing, you should contact the CAMHS Crisis Team on (Freephone): 0800 0516 171. This line is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
School Counsellor
We are very fortunate to have access to a school counsellor who comes into school on a Wednesday for a full day. Mrs Denise Howard is our counsellor.
She has a waiting list, but if you wish your child/ren to have some counselling sessions, please speak to your child’s class teacher and we can arrange for referral forms to be sent home. Children will generally have a six-week block of counselling with Denise – this will take place during school hours.
Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing
Within school, these are just some of the things we do to promote and maintain good mental health:
| Removing barriers to academic progress / school attendance | Positive behaviour management | Emotional support for the child | Special Educational Needs (SEND) | Signposting |
| – Access to Parent Support Advisor – regular meetings for parents where attendance is an issue – Breakfast Club available for ALL pupils for free – Access to toast for all pupils coming into school – Fruit available for EYFS / KS1 – Milk available for Nursery / EYFS – Several after-school clubs are available for pupils for free – FEARLESS programme available for parents in school – Additional support in class / QFT – Access to Feeding Families boxes – Boosters for Years 2 and 6 in preparation for SATS – Boosters for Year 1 – Phonics Screening – Mental Health / Wellbeing breakfasts | – 3 simple rules across the school – Positive and Respectful Relationships Policy replaced our Behaviour Policy – Restorative Conversations – Use of Team Points – Praise notes – Star of The Week / – Resilience Awards – Reading Raffle – Golden Table – Peer Mentors / Buddy system on the yard – Pupil Leadership opportunities – Active 20 | – Opportunities for children to talk with Trusted Adults – 1:1 check-ins for identified children – Zones of Regulation – Worry Monsters – Wellbeing and Mental Health Assemblies – PSHRE curriculum – Access to School Counsellor – School Senior Mental Health Lead – Soft start to the day for children who are struggling – Good relationships with parents – open door policy – Safe spaces within school – Access to Peer Mentors / Buddies on the yard | – 1:1 check-ins with Trusted Adults – Access to safe spaces – Additional support available in class – Access to School Counsellor | – Mental Health and Wellbeing Padlet available on school website – SENDCo makes referrals to CAMHS / external services e.g. EWEL Team |
Please see the Padlet below created by Miss K Hodgson which has useful links on about mental health and wellbeing and where you can seek support.
https://padlet.com/khodgson200/vhi2b1tecw8z5nme
External Support for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Understanding your Child – Online
This is an online course for all parents, grandparents and carers of
children aged 0-19 years. It will help you to understand your child’s
development and feelings. Understanding feelings is vital as all
behaviours start with feelings. It also considers different styles of
parenting, and the importance of sleep and having fun together. It helps
you reflect on how you and your child communicate with each other and
how this can be key to moving forward when things are tough.
For more information and to sign up for this go to
www.durham.gov.uk/solihull
Being a Parent – Empowering Parents Empowering
Communities (EPEC)
For parents of children aged 2-11 years old, delivered by parents.
This group will help you understand your child’s behaviour and learn
positive strategies to help you as a parent. These sessions are run by
parent facilitators.
● Take time out for yourself
● Meet other parents
● Get practical support for day-to-day challenges of being a parent
Sessions run weekly for 9 weeks and last 2 hours each.
For more information visit www.durham.gov.uk/EPEC
Incredible Years
For parents/carers of children aged 3-10 years.
Incredible years will give you knowledge and skills to understand your
child’s behaviour. You will learn how to build positive relationships with
your child and how to help them manage their behaviour in a positive way.
Sessions include:
● How to play with your child
● Supporting your child’s self esteem
● How to praise and reward your child
● Understanding your child’s needs as they grow and learn
This course runs for two hours a week, over 10 weeks.
For more information or to book a place, contact your local Family Hub.
Triple P FEARless
For parents/carers of children aged 6-14 years.
This group helps where you have a child who has anxiety which might be
causing them to miss school or social events. It helps you to understand
your child’s anxiety, recognise when your child is anxious and develop
skills and techniques to help your child cope with their anxiety.
Sessions run for 2 hours a week over 6 weeks.
For more information or to book a place, contact your local Family Hub.
Understanding your child’s feelings – Online
This is a short taster course that will help you to understand more about
your child and what they are feeling. If you like this you might like the
bigger ‘Understanding your child’ or ‘Understanding your child with
additional needs’ courses too.
For more information and to sign up for this go to
www.durham.gov.uk/solihull
Understanding the impact of the pandemic on your
child / Understanding the impact of the pandemic on
your teenager – Online
These short courses are about understanding how the coronavirus
pandemic may have affected your child/teenager emotionally. You may
have noticed that your child/teenager’s interests have changed since
returning to school, or that your child/teenager is more anxious, or you
might be worried about their social life. This course may help you to
process the impact of the pandemic on your child/teenager.
For more information and to sign up for this go to
www.durham.gov.uk/solihull
Chill Kids
For children aged 7-11 years old.
This course will help your child with big feelings find ways to manage their
emotions and remain calmer. Sessions are delivered in a group. The
course will cover:
● Helping children to identify different feelings and emotions
● Understand how their body feels when they experience emotions
● Strategies to remain calmer when they have big feelings
Sessions last one hour and run weekly for 6 weeks.
For more information or to book a place, contact your local Family Hub
