Information

At Our Lady and St Brendan’s Catholic Primary School, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and well-being of our pupils, parents, and staff. Everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable, and at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We believe positive mental health is everybody’s business, and we all have a role.  

At our school, we promote a mentally healthy environment through:

• Promoting our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging
• Promoting pupil voice and opportunities to participate in decision-making
• Celebrating academic and non-academic achievements to promote self-esteem
• Providing opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others
• Providing opportunities to reflect and pray
• Access to appropriate support that meets their needs
• Helping children to understand their emotions and feelings better and to feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
• Helping children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks 

 What do we do for our pupils' and staff's mental health and well-being?

• We have a designated Mental Health and Well-Being Lead in school (Mr. Walton) responsible for promoting the well-being of our staff, pupils, and parents.
• We have a designated trained staff, Miss Pearse and Miss Asia, who deliver nurture groups for pupils, such as small group ‘time to talk’ social skills work, resilience skills, and 1:1 check-in with pupils in liaison with our SENDCo (Special Needs & Disabilities Co-Ordinator)
• Every class has a feelings check-in board. Children place their names on a chart, and adults check with each child about their feelings.
• We have art therapy classes.
• We carry out forest schools that promote health and wellbeing.
• We have Lego therapy interventions to promote social interactions.
• We have nominated school council members in each class to represent their peers and gain feedback in class assemblies.
• We have parent meetings to share their concerns and worries.
• We have move-up days, extra transition sessions, and meet-the-teacher sessions for pupils who find class moves difficult.
• We have an allocated buddy for all new pupils.
• We have Key Stage 2 children as play-leaders to support younger children in positive play.
• We have positive behaviour systems in place to promote positive social behaviour.
• We have mental health and wellbeing assemblies through the trust to promote resilience and self-management.
• Our RHE curriculum helps pupils develop important life skills, such as learning to learn, habits of mind, and a growth mindset.
• Our ethos is to promote and support the development of skills and character traits such as perseverance, compassion, and teamwork.
• We have a Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy for our school, which is regularly updated.
• We have a Staff Well-being Charter.
• We include World Mental Health Day and Mental Health Awareness Week in the school calendar and plan activities for the whole school.

Mental Health Support Teams
We are currently living through highly challenging times, and now, perhaps more than ever, looking after our mental health and well-being is of paramount importance to us all.

What do I do if I am worried about my child's mental health or well-being?

You can:

• Go to your GP as a first port of call as they are a valuable place to gain medical support and signposting of local services.
• Talk to your child’s class teacher or teaching assistant about your child's needs or your concerns.
• Talk to the school’s SENDCO (Mrs. Wiblin) or Designated Mental Health and Well-being lead (Mr. Walton).
• Bradford Local Offer: Use the link for the Bradford Local Offer website, which has support links for children 0-25, parents or carers, and professionals/SENCO.
• Young Minds - The Parents Helpline is available to advise anyone worried about a child or young person under 25. You may have questions about a child’s behaviour, emotional well-being, or mental health condition. You may have a child who's already been admitted to CAMHS and have questions about their treatment or want to know what to say to your GP when you visit them. Call 0808 802 5544 or visit the website.
• Contact MIND for information and resources regarding understanding and improving mental health and well-being. Tel: 0300 123 3393    https://www.mind.org.uk/

NHS Resources
Here are a few simple ways to encourage your child to express themselves. Could you build on existing interests or passions? Think about what has helped them get through the past year. A love of dancing? Baking? Drawing? Fashion? Please encourage your child by

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/. This is a public health England and NHS site to help people take simple steps to look after their mental health, improve their mental wellbeing, and support others.