Mental Health & Wellbeing
The wellbeing and safety of our children is our top priority. We want children to leave us at the end of Year 6 as resilient, emotionally intelligent and empathetic members of society.
Our goal is to equip each child with a thorough understanding of their own emotions and a robust tool kit of strategies to employ when times are difficult, sad or stressful.
Pupils are taught to take responsibility for their own mental, emotional, physical and digital well-being; to understand their rights but also their responsibilities and to think for themselves rather than succumb to peer pressure or external influences. They understand that mistakes and difficult times are part of life, and that our own thinking is what shapes our response and determines our state of mind.
At school we celebrate our HEART values and the characteristics within them, as well as recognising humour, kindness and determination. The children have clear and consistent ways to ask for help and advice when they need it.
Strategies
All our pupils are supported with their social and emotional development which is woven carefully through both the curriculum and everyday practice. We incorporate many strategies into our whole class practice, such as self-esteem, reflection time, movement breaks, emotion coaching, Zones of Regulation, calming and alerting structured breaks, Time to Talk and our Calm Club.
Our Mental Health Champions are Ms Tolchard (upper school), Ms Gordon (middle school) and Ms Lambelin (lower school).
Read about our Inclusion Team.
Zones of Regulation
The Zones of Regulation programme follows a specific approach, and this is taught to all our children at an appropriate level beginning in reception. It develops awareness of feelings, energy and alertness levels while exploring a variety of tools and strategies for regulation, prosocial skills, self-care and overall wellness.
This approach is embedded in our curriculum and daily practice so that its simple, common language and visual structure helps make the complex skill of regulation more concrete for both pupils and those who support them.
All our classrooms have the Zones of Regulation map displayed for children to identify and communicate how they are feeling throughout their day, as well as ‘calm corners’ they can access when feeling overwhelmed. These corners offer toolboxes which support regulation without the need to leave the classroom environment.
Children who struggle to identify or communicate their feelings may be invited to attend Zones of Regulation small group interventions within the school day that provide additional support with this.
Time to Talk
One afternoon per week is dedicated to Time to Talk where our Mental Health Leads from lower, middle and upper schools are available to give children time to talk about anything concerning them.
The upper school can self-refer by discreetly filling out a slip and dropping it into the box where Ms Tolchard can collect it and timetable children for the week accordingly. Ms Gordon will do the same for the children in our middle school, whilst the lower school is overseen by Ms Lambelin.
In the lower school, the children are referred by the class teacher or other members of staff that feel the child may benefit from talking 1:1 with an adult. Any information of concern is communicated to the class teacher or if necessary, the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Calm Club
Our Calm Club is available for all children during lunchtime. The Calm Club is a safe and relaxing space for any children who would like a break from the fast-paced bustle of the playground or generally find such environments overwhelming. It is a comforting space with calming music and mindfulness activities. If a member of staff feels like an individual is struggling or would benefit from Calm Club on a certain day, they will offer the child a Calm Club pass to encourage them to attend.
Self-esteem
We have implemented a daily, whole-school intervention in which the children are given 10 minutes at the end of school to reflect on their day.
Analysing our thoughts and reflecting on our experiences is the first step to train our minds to think positively. This can be done whilst listening to some deep focus music as the children prepare for home time, drawing pictures, writing or even simply thinking quietly in their heads – making it inclusive and accessible for everyone.
Firstly, they can write down on paper or draw any negative experiences that they wish to get rid of. Writing down or physically getting rid of negative thoughts can be extremely powerful. These thoughts can then be ‘wiped clean’ both mentally and physically, ready to begin a fresh start the following day. Next, they list or draw all the little things that have gone well and spend time focusing on the positives.
Children reflect by visually seeing - right in front of them - that more often than not, the positives outweigh significantly the negatives. Teaching this valuable skill and embedding it into their everyday practice will develop a healthy and positive mindset for all children to take with them on their journeys at Deer Park and beyond.
If your child is experiencing low self-esteem, Family Lives provides some useful advice to parents.
Social Skills
Social skills interventions help pupils in developing and maintaining relationships. These can be of particular benefit to children or young people with social communication difficulties.
Children who struggle in this area may be invited to attend small group interventions within the school day that provide additional support. All the social skills programmes we deliver follow the evidenced social thinking model. These include but are not limited to: Socially Speaking, What’s the Buzz, Social Skills Programme and Lego Therapy.