The Department for Education (DfE) recognises that “in order to help their pupils succeed, schools have a role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy”. Here at Saltford C of E Primary School we embrace a whole school approach where all staff value and recognise the need to promote positive mental health and well-being in every child and adult. We place great importance on developing the whole child academically, socially and emotionally. The skills needed throughout life can be taught and learnt at any age; all aspects of a child’s experience in and out of school contribute to their personal and social development and we feel that it is essential that we share this role with parents, carers and families.

Who are the well-being team?

• Miss Natalie Jupp – PSHE Lead
• Mrs Gemma Godwin – Inclusion Lead/SENCO
• Mrs Melissa Brook  – PE/Health and Well-being Lead
• Mrs Pippa Saunders – Pastoral teaching assistant

All of the staff at Saltford C of E Primary School play a fundamental role in the well-being of our pupils and their families.

How do we provide well-being support at Saltford C of E Primary School?

• Well-being team helps to co-ordinate well-being activities and resources accessible for both pupils and staff.
• Signposting pupils and families to appropriate support, agencies and professionals outside of school.
• Access to Thrive assessment and intervention: we are a Thrive school with Thrive licensed practitioners (Mrs Gemma Godwin and Mrs Pippa Saunders). For more information about Thrive, see our parents' information leaflet. 
• Access to our Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) who is a trained Teaching Assistant who helps children and young people feel happy in school. and to reach their potential socially, emotionally and academically. The ELSA is trained to understand the barriers to learning that some children and young people might have and can help them with this. They can support children's emotional development and help them cope with life’s challenges.
   

• Individual work and group interventions for pupils around issues such as;
  • behaviour
  • self-esteem
  • anger management
  • bereavement
  • family breakdowns
  • anxiety
  • social communication
• Designated space for Nurture activities.
• Staff training on mental health, safeguarding and protecting vulnerable children.

Saltford has a proactive approach to supporting our children and their families, including:

• A team of trained Safeguarding Leads and a Safeguarding Governor
• A Nurture Room
• One-to-one teaching assistants who support specific, emotionally vulnerable children
• A dedicated pastoral support Teaching assistant who is Thrive and ELSA trained
• Small group interventions for groups to develop social skills, self-esteem and emotional literacy
• PSHE Scheme that promotes a ‘mindfulness’ approach to lessons
• Whole school assembly themes to promote and support SEMH (Social Emotional Mental Health)
• Personal and social education lessons and circle time sessions in all year groups
• Annual workshops, events and assemblies run by NSPCC and other outside agencies
• A comprehensive range of health and sporting activities across the curriculum and in after-school clubs.

Getting enough sleep is vitally important. Many effects of a lack of sleep, such as feeling grumpy and not working at your best, are well known, but research also shows that regular poor sleep can put you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.

It's now clear that a solid night's sleep is essential for a long and healthy life.

Below are the NHS sleep recommendations for primary age children: 

4 years: 11 hours 30 minutes

5 years: 11 hours

6 years: 10 hours 45 minutes

7 years: 10 hours 30 minutes

8 years: 10 hours 15 minutes

9 years: 10 hours

10 years: 9 hours 45 minutes

11 years: 9 hours 30 minutes

The Sleep Charity has a range of information about better sleep. They have a dedicated phone line that you can call for help and advice about sleep problems: 03303 530 541 between 7pm and 9pm, Sunday to Tuesday and Thursday and Wednesday, 9am – 11am.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best.

This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

For information on eating healthily, click on the images below.

Children need to be active for 60 minutes a day. Sports and active hobbies are a great way to get some exercise — they don't need to take up a lot of time or money. Exercise helps to maintain a healthy mind as well as a healthy body.

Click on the images below for links to great ideas about how to get fit and have fun.

Understanding how to look after our bodies and minds is crucial for our wellbeing. In the UK, 1 in 9 children aged 5-15 experience mental health difficulties. These can include depression, anxiety and conduct disorder, and are often a direct response to what is happening in their lives.

In this section, you will find a links to resources to support positive mental health, as well as information about common mental health difficulties and links to sources of advice and support.

Kooth: free, safe and anonymous online support for young people

Childline: a free, private and confidential service online, on the phone, anytime.

CAMHS: guidance for support with mental health

Click here for a list of apps and websites to support emotional well-being.

Anxiety

Signs to look out for in your child are:

• finding it hard to concentrate
• not sleeping, or waking in the night with bad dreams
• not eating properly
• quickly getting angry or irritable, and being out of control during outbursts
• constantly worrying or having negative thoughts
• feeling tense and fidgety, or using the toilet often
• always crying
• being clingy
• complaining of tummy aches and feeling unwell

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/anxiety-in-children/

https://tutorful.co.uk/guides/the-expert-guide-to-help-your-child-with-anxiety

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/anxious-child

https://www.moodcafe.co.uk/media/19579/cyp_parents_1_2_web.pdf

Depression

• sadness, or a low mood that doesn't go away
• being irritable or grumpy all the time
• not being interested in things they used to enjoy
• feeling tired and exhausted a lot of the time

Your child may also:

• have trouble sleeping or sleep more than usual
• not be able to concentrate
• interact less with friends and family
• be indecisive
• not have much confidence
• eat less than usual or overeat
• have big changes in weight
• seem unable to relax or be more lethargic than usual
• talk about feeling guilty or worthless
• feel empty or unable to feel emotions (numb)
• have thoughts about suicide or self-harming
• actually self-harm, for example, cutting their skin or taking on overdose

Coping with low mood

A Parent's Guide to Depression