Mental Health & Wellbeing

Mental Health Whole School Approach

In our Federation, we aim to promote positive mental health and well-being for our whole school community; pupils, staff, parents and carers, and recognise how important mental health and emotional well-being is to our lives in just the same way as physical health.

A child who feels safe and happy, who has resilience and enjoys coming to school will learn. If a child doesn't, they wont learn to the best of their ability. If we prioritise mental and physical health, academic learning will fly.

Our School Policy explains why we give it such high importance and the methods we use to help children develop in this area.

We have also created curriculum maps to highlight how this and Safeguarding are constantly taught across the curriculum. In post Covid times, we believe this is even more important than ever.

Every day, children and young people across the UK struggle with their mental health.

We are committed to helping children and young people with their mental health, and the need for our services grows daily. 1 in 6 children in the UK experience mental health difficulties. Half of all mental health problems are established by age 14.

Please find attached above information on a positive parenting course, run by Bethany and Amy, our family support team from Highfields. This course is aimed at helping families to secure parent/child relationships, attachment and behaviour, which particularly after COVID, have become more challenging. This is conducted in a completely supportive environment with absolutely no judgements made - only help.

Mental Health Awareness Week - Help for Adults

Derbyshire Emotional Health and Well Being Website

Mental Health Awareness Week 13th to 19th May 2024

 13th to 19^th of May is Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) 2024.

The theme this year is "Movement: Moving more for our mental health".

First Signs of Eating Disorders

Please find attached an open invitation to our local cluster coffee morning if you have any concerns or questions

Doodlebug - Growth Mindset Workshops in School

Prioritising the physical and mental health of our children and developing the whole child is the umbrella of all that we do at Framework Federation. Ian Brearley, The Doodlebug, will be coming into school after half term delivering workshops to our children on the Growth Mindset and resilience, determination, trying your best and learning from mistakes. This will be delivered through art and doodling. The aim of the workshop is to enable children to feel good about themselves with regards to what they produce in the workshop sessions and this creates positive feelings of achievement. The pupils will also have their confidence and self esteem boosted and evidence shows that continuing to learn new skills can improve and maintain our mental well being. Ian will be working with the children at Lea on Monday 28th February & Tuesday 1st March and Wessington on Thursday 3rd March.

Home (thedoodlebug.net) 

Ian Brearley, Doodlebug, has been working with our children this week to encourage their positive well being and growth mindset. I'd like to share the feedback he has sent:

“Excellent days delivering the workshops @ Wessington and Lea Primary Schools in Derbyshire this week. Very productive days with lots of positives including impressive resilience levels, fantastic completed pictures, superb noise levels (you could hear a pin drop) and great vocabularies

The pupils worked really hard & that was reflected in the work they produced.

Excellent manners & behaviour. Enthusiastic staff who are having such a positive impact on the pupils. Well done everyone.

I really enjoyed visiting you & working with everyone (pupils & staff) .Brilliant I was very impressed at both of the schools and the elements that were really impressive included the resilience levels, completed pictures and vocabularies plus the manners & behaviour.

The noise levels were very good at both schools, they far exceeded the average levels which I tend to see nationwide so that was a real positive.

Overall though I think that your staff at both schools are doing a great job with regards to the different attributes but resilience was very impressive across both sites.

Thank you again for booking the workshops, I really enjoyed visiting both schools and working with everyone."

Mental Health Week 7-13th February 2022

At Framework Federation we recognise that mental and physical health is a vitally important part of education and well-being for both children and adults.

Promoting a positive ethos and a sense of belonging for all members of the school community:

• A positive vision is developed across the Federation and both school communities.
• There is a strong care and respect agenda across both schools - everybody belongs.
• We have a strong culture of listening.
• We aim that all children feel safe, wanted and can aspire.
• We have strong partnerships with local clubs and activities out of hours.
• Assemblies focus on Mental Health, Staying Safe, British Values, Keeping Healthy and historic and present day role models.

Have clear and consistent policies which support teaching and learning and behaviour:

• Teaching and Learning Policy
• Maths Policy
• English Policy
• Computing Policy
• Science Policy
• Behaviour Policy
• Forest Schools - which has a proven impact on improving mental and physical health, enjoyment and icnreading resilience.

Actively encourage positive relationships across the school community:

• There is a positive culture of respect across both schools
• Staff work together to support and challenge
• Children are all able to talk to adults within the school
• There is a sense of fun

Focus on staff training and well-being:

• There is an awareness of health, safety and welfare of staff
• There is professional and personal support for staff through our 'open door policy'
• There is a culture of staff supporting each other across both schools
• There is a no-blame culture in which staff can ask for help if needed
• Annual staff questionnaire to focus on health and well-being
• There is training and inductions for new staff

Work in partnership:

• There are strong partnerships between school and parents - we have a strong open door policy
• We have many parent and community volunteers who work within school
• We have strong links with the local communities - church services termly to which the community are invited, Year 6 children help at community events, the local Women's Institute visit Lea Primary School to teach the children to sew and knit
• Parents, staff and children are given an annual questionnaire and viewpoints are always taken into account
• Children are completing outdoor Club and Scout badges during Forest School sessions
• The Headteacher speaks to parents and builds relationships regularly at Open Mornings, Parents Evenings, Performances, events and each day where possible at the school gates
• Communication systems ensure consistency of approaches
• Mental Health 'tip of the week' is given on weekly newsletters
• There are strong partnerships with other schools in the Matlock cluster at all levels and with Holloway Playgroup

Listen to the child's voice:

• We have a very active School Council and Sports Council
• Children are often involved in the decision making process
• Children are encouraged to be independent learners - taking ownership of their own learning, knowing their own targets, what they need to do to improve and reviewing their own progress
• There is a culture that all children have a voice

Arrange teaching in groups to suit the individual needs of children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and adjust the curriculum to meet individual needs:

• We have an excellent Nurture Group and Nurture Lunch Club that children from both schools access and Lego Therapy
• Vulnerable children are assessed using the 'Boxall Profile'
• Children's individual needs are assessed and provision put in place accordingly, for example 'no cost' breakfast club and Forest Schools curriculum
• Adaptions are made to move with changing and emerging needs.
• A great active curriculum, getting children out and about, a huge emphasis on physical well-being, being active (including 'Mile a Day') and Forest Schools

Use the School Accessibility Plan to meet individual needs:

• There is a current School Accessibility Plan which is used when it is needed for adaptation of provision.