Mental Health & Wellbeing -

Statement of Commitment

Rowan Park Teaching Schools are committed to providing a caring, healthy and inclusive environment that promotes and supports positive mental health and wellbeing for our pupils, staff, parents and carers. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play. As a school, we will constantly strive to find a range of tools that will help the whole school community with their emotional wellbeing. Positive mental health is vital to what we do at school; it underpins the crucial work carried out to support pupils and their families.

At our school we:

help children to understand their emotions and feelings
help children socially to form and maintain relationships
promote self esteem
encourage children to be confident
help children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks
provide opportunities for pupils to develop physical health; good levels of physical health develop greater levels of cognitive function
understand that the wellbeing of all staff is integral to the wellbeing of children at the school.

Intent

At Rowan Park teaching Schools, we recognise that positive mental health and wellbeing are essential to the development of thriving and successful pupils. We aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for our whole school community (children, staff, parents and carers), and recognise how important mental health and emotional wellbeing is to our lives in just the same way as physical health. It is therefore vital to our aims as a School that we provide high quality mental health and wellbeing support.

The Department for Education (DfE) recognises that: “in order to help their children succeed; schools have a role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy”. Schools can be a place for children and young people to experience a nurturing and supportive environment that has the potential to develop self-esteem and give positive experiences for overcoming adversity and building resilience. This statement sets out our commitment, intent, impact and implementation in monitoring and supporting the wellbeing of our pupils at Rowan Park School and our approach to promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.

There is a whole school approach to the planning and delivering of the Mental Health and Wellbeing curriculum at Rowan Park School. The school commits to promoting physical health and mental wellbeing through in-classroom teaching alongside individual, class, whole school activities and community activities. At Rowan Park Schools, wellbeing education enables our children to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. It aims to help them understand how they are developing personally and socially.

In addition teaching the basic steps pupils can take to care for themselves, teachers put specific emphasis on the skills young people need to overcome setbacks, build resilience and succeed in the face of adversity.

Examples of good practice used within school include:

the organisation of whole school or year group activities to discuss specific mental health and wellbeing issues
using key dates such as Mental Health Awareness week and World Mental Health Day as opportunities to raise the profile of Mental Health
organised activities across the curriculum.
dedicating time to celebrate pupils’ academic and extracurricular activities.
including pupils’ wellbeing in lesson observations for staff
using displays and bulletins to signpost staff and families for sources of support.

Our Mental health and Wellbeing curriculum develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills, which enables children to access the wider curriculum and to prepare children for their future roles within the community. The curriculum will demonstrate appropriate strategies, skills and understanding to fulfil the duties of the Relationships and Sexual Health Education (RSHE) whereby schools must provide a ‘balanced and broadly-based curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares them for the opportunities and responsibilities and experiences for later life.

At Rowan Park Schools, we believe that staff need to be happy, have a manageable workload and the right support at all levels in order to thrive in our school. Our intent is to ensure that well thought out systems and strategies are in place to ensure that when challenging times arise, staff are healthy and resilient and can be directed to extra support when needed. Rowan Park Schools understand that parents and carers may need extra support with their wellbeing and we aim to ensure that help is available when needed by offering a communication pathway in the form of Class Dojos, school website, coffee mornings and external agencies for those that need this.

Wellbeing for School (WAS)

This year Rowan Park Schools will be working towards the Wellbeing Award for Schools, which involves all aspects of our school community. This whole-school award focuses on ensuring effective practice and provision is in place that promotes the emotional wellbeing and mental health of both pupils and staff. The award focuses on changing the long-term culture of a school and embeds an ethos where mental health is regarded as the responsibility of everyone. By working towards this award, our school can show our commitment to promoting mental health as part of regular school life, improving the emotional wellbeing of the whole school community. This award will help staff with ways of identifying mental health problems and the support provided to help by offering provisions and interventions that match the needs of our school community. It will work on engaging the whole school community in the importance of mental health awareness through strategies, themed weeks, skills and knowledge as well as obtaining the views of parents, students and staff on Mental Health and Wellbeing.

To achieve our intent, the teaching staff will:

Plan and deliver outstanding differentiated lessons, which are engaging, of a good pace and have an appropriate structure.
Ensure the children have the opportunity to work with a variety of materials.
Assess, record and report on the development, progress and attainment of pupils.
Follow and adapt medium and short term planning.
Implement the school’s equalities policy, schemes and UNCRC Rights Respecting Policy.
Promote pupils independence within the classroom.
Offer support and guidance to pupils and parents.
Support and have high expectations for students making average or good progress.

Pupil progress in Mental Health and Wellbeing is assessed in line with the schools assessment, recording and reporting policy and is supported by photographic evidence and displays, observations and meetings. Using B-Squared PSHE data including Progression Steps and Engagement Steps and ASDAN Qualifications. Alongside pupil, staff and parent/carer surveys and questionnaires in line with the Wellbeing Award for Schools.

Implementation

In order for our school to achieve its aims of promoting positive wellbeing across the whole school community, a range of tools that will help the whole school community with their emotional wellbeing are in place focusing on individual, class, whole-school approaches and school community. Positive mental health is vital to what we do at school; it underpins the crucial work carried out to support pupils and their families.

Yoga and Mindfulness

Using a range of resource packs including bubbles, sensory trays, music and video, children are given short opportunities to relax/mediate when returning to class from break and lunch periods and at the end of the school day. Pupils practice different breathing techniques such as; balloon breathing, bubble breathing, ‘Take 5’ and Mindfulness 5-4-3-2-1. This enables our pupils learn simple strategies to help themselves when they feel anxious, worried or need a break to focus their attention.

Sensory Rooms

A sensory room is a dedicated room/space designed to block out noise, control space, temperature and lighting. It utilises multi-sensory equipment to stimulate the senses and promote pleasure and/or feelings of well-being. The sensory room is available to any children who require support with sensory needs.

School clubs

Both a choir and yoga club are run weekly. Pupils are selected by teachers to access the club and targeted pupils attend clubs on a weekly basis to support them with their wellbeing. The clubs give the pupils the opportunity to socialise with other classes and practice new skills which aim to increase happiness through music in choir and physically and mentally in yoga. Afterschool clubs are run weekly with differentiated activities on offer for pupils.

Rainbow/Dolphin room

The rainbow/dolphin room is a room in school dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of children who find a whole class or playground setting challenging. This room contains a calm area with beanbags, books, and a workstation and space for individual or small group work. Within the room, there are specific resources and prompts to help children regulate their own emotions and behaviour. Members of staff can visit this room with pupils at different times of the day to support children with their wellbeing.

PSHE curriculum

A PSHE curriculum that is designed to support children’s understanding of their emotions. This is built upon as they move through school. The curriculum has a specific strand for Health and Wellbeing in line with the PSHE association resources and RSE statutory requirements. Amongst other things, there will be a particular focus on emotional literacy and language used to empress mental health and wellbeing.

Celebration Assemblies

Celebration assemblies take place every Monday and Friday morning where star of the week and special mention certificates are shared to pupils to celebrate achievements that week, boosting self-esteem and morale through positive praise. Celebration assemblies also give pupils the chance to share weekly news, celebrate birthdays and sing/dance together to music.

Worry Monsters

Classes use worry monsters or worry boxes, this is a mechanism where children can share worries or concerns in class, and these are then discussed later in a calm environment with the class teacher.

Calm Corners and Environment

All classrooms contain clearly organised and labelled equipment with the use of board maker symbols, tactile objects and visual timetables to ease pupil’s anxieties and promote independent learning and communication. Classrooms are designed individually to meet the needs of each pupil with some containing calm corners and areas where pupils can practice breathing and relaxation. The whole school environment is designed to celebrate children’s achievement and provide a comforting, stimulating environment that promotes the school values along with children’s wellbeing.

Wellbeing Award for Schools (WAS)

This whole-school award focuses on ensuring effective practice and provision is in place that promotes the emotional wellbeing and mental health of both pupils and staff. This consists of taking the views and suggestions of pupils, staff, parents and carers by assessing the current provision and creating an action plan to aim towards positive wellbeing in all areas of the school community.

Wellbeing Champions

Our school has a group of wellbeing champions and involves putting peer-to peer support at the heart of our approach. Meetings are held to find out what is needed specifically within the educational environment to aid wellbeing throughout the year. The group can address the needs they have identified in an effective way throughout the school and enables staff to share good practice and ideas to further promote positive wellbeing across the school community. Support will be provided either in one to one or group settings and will be guided by conversations with the student who is suffering and their parents.

Mental Health and Wellbeing weeks

Pupils and staff take part in different Mental health and wellbeing weeks across the school year promoting aspects of Mental health such as; loneliness, self-esteem and friendship. Pupils take part in different themed days and weeks such as; ‘Hello Yellow week’, Mental Health Awareness Week and Acts of Kindness week. This encourages pupils to take part in different activities promoting positive mental health and physical health such as yoga, mindfulness and healthy eating. Each theme and activities are designed by the Expressive Arts Faculty/Mental Health champions and are differentiated to each year group or class.

Safeguarding procedures

Information sharing platforms

The school uses DOJOs to manage all information about school, as well as text reminders for parents and staff. Specific information is shared through this system between teachers and parents/carers. Weekly staff briefings and meetings provide a platform for staff to discuss any concerns and share information.

CPD

The skills, knowledge and understanding needed by our pupils to keep themselves and others physically and mentally healthy and safe are included as part of our teaching at Rowan Park School. Staff will take part in continuous professional development in Mental health and well-being on Inset Days in school. Staff are trained in specific mental health courses such as:

Mental Health First Aid
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health Leader award.

Supporting Parents

Rowan Park Schools share ideas about how parents can support positive mental health in their children through our newsletter, coffee mornings within school and parent evenings. Teachers ensure that parents are informed about the mental health topics their children are learning about in school and PSHE programmes and share ideas for extending and exploring this learning at home. Mental Health Weeks and days are planned throughout the year and are shared with parents. This communication happens through direct contact, Class Dojo messenger, newsletters, Well-being Award for School and the school website.

School website and Weekly newsletters

The school website support children’s wellbeing by celebrating all children’s achievements. Sections of the website promote in school achievements as well as achievements children have outside of school. Weekly newsletters are shared amongst staff, parents and carers to communicate key events, themes and celebrations within the school.

Links to local services

Rowan Park Schools will highlight sources of information and support about common mental health and wellbeing issues and links to local services available on our school website, in areas around the school for example the staff room and staff toilets, newsletters and on the information board in school. School will ensure that all parents and staff are aware of who to talk to, and how to go about this, if they have concerns about their own child or a friend of their child. School will make our positive mental health and well-being policy easily accessible to parents.

Health Care plans and Risk assessments

It is helpful to draw up either an individual health care plan or risk assessment for pupils causing concern or who receive a diagnosis pertaining to their mental health. The plan should always involve the student, the parents, Student Support Officers, Senior Leadership Team and relevant health professionals, where possible. This can include:

Details of a student’s condition
Special requirements and precautions
Level of risk to self or others
Medication and any side effects
What to do and who to contact in an emergency
Preventative measures

Impact

All teaching and non-teaching staff have a responsibility and important role in promoting and supporting the mental health and well-being of children and each other. We understand some children will need additional help and we know all staff have a responsibility to look out for early warning signs to ensure children get the early intervention and support they need.

We recognise that many behaviours and emotional problems can be supported within the School environment, or with guidance from external professionals. We have links with mental health professionals and organisations that provide support with mental health needs to children and their families.

Through continued support by all staff across all sites this will show through an improvement in whole school attendance additionally allowing pupils to develop the self-esteem, awareness and self-confidence to play an active part in school life, the wider community and be fully equipped for the next stage in their educational journey.

The teaching staff will:

Plan and deliver outstanding differentiated lessons, which are engaging, of a good pace and have an appropriate structure.
Ensure the children have the opportunity to work with a variety of materials.
Have high expectations for all children.
Assess, record and report on the development, progress and attainment of pupils.
Follow and adapt medium and short term planning.
Implement the school’s equalities policy, schemes and UNCRC Rights Respecting Policy.
Challenge all students making outstanding progress.
Support and have high expectations for students making average or good progress.

SEND / Inclusion

Throughout the key stages students with Autism, VI (Visual Impairment), MSI (Multisensory Impairment), HI (Hearing Impairment) and PMLD students, specialist teachers and a multi-sensory curriculum are delivered with the support of specialist resources and staff.

Rights of the child

At Rowan Park School, we believe that the school’s Mental health and wellbeing policy must be based on shared values, to which all are committed. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child underpins these values. We always act in the children’s immediate and future best interests. (Article 3, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child).