At Nunnery Wood Primary we understand that school plays a vital role in supporting children’s mental health and well-being. We all have mental health and we believe it is important that children are encouraged and supported to look after their mental health every day. We are eager to reduce the stigma around mental health, we do this by talking to the children, teaching them to talk about their worries and explore their feelings. 

It is okay not to be okay!

Since the start of this pandemic, we have recognised and acknowledge that now more than ever, we need to support children to regulate, express and understand their emotions.

Over the past 18 months, we have invested time in the recovery curriculum and used questionnaires to support the transition back to into school.

We are keen to make mental health an integral part of every child’s school experience. Our weekly PSHE lessons are crucial for children to be able to prepare for life, help them to know and really value who they are and help them to relate to other people in this ever-changing world. We encourage children to understand that being mentally healthy means that we feel good about ourselves, make and keep positive relationships with others and can feel and manage the full range of emotions. These can range from happiness, excitement and curiosity through to less comfortable feelings such as anger, fear or sadness.

We are developing use of jigsaw resources to encourage children to talk and understand that good mental health allows us to cope with life’s ups and downs, to feel in control of our lives and to ask for help from others when we need support.

How do we support our children’s mental health and well-being in school?

• Through our Relationships and Behaviour Policy
• Mindfulness activities/guided relaxation sessions
• Exercise such as Yoga, mile a day (builds up across the year groups)
• Nurture provision
• Play Therapy for individuals
• Regular PSHE and circle time sessions
• Peer massage
• Self-Esteem, Social Skills and Friendship groups and individual work
• Forest School activities
• Calm Boxes
• Worry boxes and ‘ask it boxes’
• Little book of positivity
• Celebration assemblies

Links to useful websites for parents:

https://www.place2be.org.uk/our-story/childrens-mental-health-week/parents-and-carers-childrens-mental-health-week.aspx

http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents

http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents/parents_guide