Mental Health and Wellbeing
“More than one in 10 primary school children aged five to 10 has an identifiable mental health condition – that’s around three children in every class. While rates of mental ill health do increase as children get older, early intervention is key to giving young people the best start in life. Primary schools have a vital role to play in supporting children’s mental health – teaching them the skills they need to recognise and deal with their emotions and helping those with difficulties get the support they need.” – Mentally Healthy Schools, Anna Freud: Primary: Mentally Healthy Schools
Mental Health and Wellbeing can be defined as “the emotional and spiritual resilience which allows us to enjoy life and survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of wellbeing and an underlying belief in our own and others, dignity and worth.” (Health Education Authority. Mental Health Promotion: A Quality Framework 1997)
At Herons’ Moor Academy, mental health and wellbeing is at the heart of our school culture and underpins everything we do. We know that there is a high-level of need which is increasing in terms of children and young people’s mental health, and we believe that good mental wellbeing is a key foundation in enabling children to understand themselves more fully, find and listen to their individual voices, and believe in themselves and their abilities.
A focus on developing emotionally resilient children supports us in creating learners who are ready and willing to learn, able to navigate and overcome conflicts and challenges, and who are equipping themselves with the skills and tools necessary for understanding the world around them and their place within it. It is our aim to create these happy and successful learners who feel secure and valued, through promoting a strong sense of belonging and affording a positive, supportive environment where all children are encouraged to express themselves and communicate their feelings.
As a values-based school we actively promote key values like honesty, respect, self-belief, responsibility and togetherness, and understand how integral inspiring and promoting these values in our children is for positive mental health. We hope all children will leave Herons’ Moor Academy feeling confident in who they are and ready to embrace the next steps in their learning journey.
The wellbeing of all our children, staff and families is of paramount importance to us. Our Inclusion Team and Mental Wellbeing Team work alongside each other to provide support and guidance for our children and families through signposting to, and contacting, additional services within North Somerset, carrying out interventions and check-ins, and raising the profile of mental wellbeing within our wider school community. In our academy, we have invested in providing additional support for mental health needs across this school, and have Mental Health First Aiders, a Family Support Worker, an Educational Mental Health Practitioner and Emotional Literacy Support Assistant.
Meet the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team
If you need any support or guidance around you or your child’s mental wellbeing, then please email us on [email protected]
A member of the team will aim to get back to you within 24 hours.
Further Information and Support
Mental Health And Wellbeing | Anna Freud
Place 2 be – Supporting your child’s mental health
NHS – Children’s mental health
NSPCC – Promoting mental health & wellbeing
Local Services
The following document details some different support options available within North Somerset – including youth groups, 1:1 counselling, and specialist support. Some are local and others are national. Some are face-to-face and others are online. The support options listed are aimed at a variety of age groups and not all services will be suitable or available for your child.
