Mental Health & Wellbeing
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well- being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Over the course of our lives, we may experience mental health problems, our thinking, mood, and behaviour could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:
- Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
- Life experiences, such as high stress levels, trauma or abuse
- Family history of mental health problems
Mental health problems are common, and help is available.
We aim to:
- Promote positive mental health and wellbeing across the whole school
- Create a culture of wellbeing and inclusion
- Foster a positive atmosphere in school, where pupils feel able to discuss and reflect on their own experiences with mental health openly
- Celebrate all of the ways pupils achieve at our school, both inside and outside the classroom
- Allow pupils to participate in forming our approach to mental health by promoting pupil voice
- Give pupils the opportunity to develop their self-esteem by taking responsibility for themselves and others
- Spread awareness of the varieties of ways mental health issues can manifest
- Support staff to identify and respond to early warning signs of mental health issues
- Provide support to staff working with pupils with mental health issues
- Provide support and access to resources to pupils experiencing mental ill health alongside their peers, their families and the staff who work with them.
Therapy dog
One of the tools we use to improve wellbeing in our pupils is spending time with our therapy dog. This builds upon the benefits of the human-animal bond by providing children with positive experiences that can help them educationally, developmentally, emotionally and socially.
Programmes of this kind have been proven to have a positive impact on children in all areas including self-esteem, behaviour, peer relationships and better engagement skills which, in turn, improve academic achievement. Numerous research studies have shown the benefits of dogs in schools and evidence indicates that areas of potential benefit include:
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Cognitive development – companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem-solving, game-playing and can improve reading skills.
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Emotional development – a school dog improves self-esteem, acceptance from others and lifts mood, often provoking laughter and fun. Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things as well as relieving anxiety.
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Physical development – interaction with a pet reduces blood pressure, provides tactile stimulation, assists with pain management, gives motivation to move/walk and stimulates the senses.
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Environmental benefits – a dog in a school contributes towards the creation of a home-style environment, with all of the above benefits continuing long after the school day is over.
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Social benefits – a dog provides a positive mutual topic for discussion, encourages responsibility, wellbeing, developing social skills and focused interaction with others.
Movement and physical education
Physical activity has numerous benefits for children's physical health, as well as mental wellbeing. Children who are physically active are happier, more resilient and more trusting of their peers; physical activity increases self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and lowers anxiety and depression. Ensuring that pupils have access to sufficient daily activity can also have wider benefits for pupils and schools, improving behaviour, focus as well as enhancing academic achievement.
