Wellbeing in School
Over the course of their education, children spend over 7,800 hours at school. With such a huge amount of time spent in the classroom, schools provide an ideal environment for promoting good emotional wellbeing and identifying early behaviour changes and signs of mental distress. The social and emotional skills, knowledge and behaviours that young people learn in the classroom can help them to build resilience and set the pattern for how they will manage their mental health throughout their lives. Emotional wellbeing is a clear indicator of academic achievement, success and satisfaction in later life. Evidence shows that mental health and wellbeing programmes in schools, can lead to significant improvements in children’s mental health, and social and emotional skills. Wellbeing provision in schools can also lead to reductions in classroom misbehaviour and bullying.
Wellbeing at Glodwick
We have a sensory garden in the school grounds available for all children when they want to use it. It includes areas for touch, smell, sight and hearing, it is a lovely inspiring place for children to learn and enjoy. Children use it for lessons and at play times. We also run an after-school gardening club.
We have applied for additional funding from National Lottery and we have already received funding from Rolls Royce to develop our scientific learning using the sensory garden.
Leadership and Management
Senior Mental Health Lead - Miss D. Preece
The strategic lead for implementing the whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing within school.
Five Ways to Wellbeing
We encourage the children to follow the Five Ways to Wellbeing.
Step 1 - Connect
Connecting with others can help us feel close to people, and valued for who we are. Being social means different things for different people – you might prefer being in quieter situations with one other person, or you might like being in big groups. You might like to connect with people online, or you might enjoy phone calls or sending letters.
Here are some ways you could make a connection today:
- If you feel comfortable, you could try speaking to someone new
- Ask how someone’s weekend was, and really listen when they tell you
- Put 5 minutes aside to find out how a colleague is doing
- Give a colleague a lift to work or share the journey home with them
Step 2 - Get Active
Many people find that physical activity helps them maintain positive mental health.
This doesn't have to mean running marathons or training every day at the gym. There are lots of different things you can do to be a bit more active.
Studies have shown that getting active can help you sleep better, have happier moods, and reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and racing thoughts.
Here are a few ideas for how you can get active today:
- Take the stairs rather than the lift
- Go for a walk at lunchtime
- Walk into work – maybe you could go with a colleague
- Get off the bus a stop earlier than usual and walk the final part of your journey to work
- Organise a work sporting activity
- Have a kick-about in a local park
- Do some stretches before you leave for work in the morning
- If you're in the office, walk over to someone’s desk instead of calling or emailing
Step 3 - Take Notice
Reminding yourself to take notice can help you to be aware of how you're feeling. It can help you understand what triggers your feelings of stress or anxiety.
Some studies have shown that savouring ‘the moment’ can also help you to feel more positive about life.
Take some time to enjoy the moment and the environment around you. Here are a few ideas:
- Get a plant for your workspace
- Have a ‘clear the clutter’ day
- Take a different route on your journey to or from work
- Visit a new place for lunch
Step 4 - Learn
We're always learning new things – often without realising it. Feeling like you're learning and developing can boost your self-esteem.
And sometimes, setting goals can help you to feel more productive and more in control of your life.
What can you learn today? Here are a few ideas:
- Find out something about your colleagues
- Sign up for a class
- Read the news or a book
- Set up a book club
- Do a crossword or Sudoku
- Research something you’ve always wondered about
- Learn a new word
Step 5 - Give
There's been lots of research about the effects of taking part in social and community life. Some studies have shown that people who help others are more likely to rate themselves as happy.
Is there anything you can do today, to be kind or helpful to someone else? You could try:
- Making a cup of tea for a colleague
- Offering to help a colleague with something they're stuck on
- Introducing yourself to a new-starter, to help them feel more at ease
- Seeing if there are any volunteering initiatives open at work
Eight principles to promoting a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing
The eight principles to promoting a whole school and college approach to mental health and wellbeing is presented in a wheel diagram with ‘leadership and management that support and champions efforts to promote emotional health and wellbeing’ at the centre. Radially surrounding this core principle are the 7 other principles below, arranged in a clockwise manner:
• Curriculum teaching and learning to promote resilience and support social and emotional learning
• Enabling student voice to influence decisions
• Staff development to support their own wellbeing and that of students
• Identifying need and monitoring impact of interventions
• Working with parents and carers
• Targeted support and appropriate referral
• An ethos and environment that promotes respect and values diversity
Government Resources for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Please click on the picture link to access the resources.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Please click on the picture link to access the resources.
Joe Wicks Exercise Tips
Please select the documnet below.
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importance of exercise | [pdf 10MB] |
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Resources
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We Can Help - Mental Health and Wellbeing | [pdf 1MB] |
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Promoting children and young people's mental health and wellbeing | [pdf 982KB] |
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Supporting Young Minds Through Tough Times | [pdf 6MB] |
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Emotional Health and Mental Wellbeing - Emotional Health and Wellbeing Services | [pdf 1MB] |
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Emotional Health and Mental Wellbeing - Graduated Response | [pdf 1MB] |
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Emotional Health and Mental Wellbeing - Self Assessment Check List | [pdf 1MB] |
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Key Partners and Quality Assurance Booklet | [pdf 1MB] |
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