Supporting Emotional Wellbeing

At Barnfield Primary School, we place great importance on supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils, families and staff. This is linked to our learning principles of ‘Healthy Me’ and ‘Empathetic Me’.

At our school, we promote these through:

• promoting our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging;
• providing opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others;
• providing opportunities to reflect;
• access to appropriate support that meets their needs;
• helping children to understand their emotions and feelings better and to feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries;
• and, helping children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks.

Wellbeing Team

Lead staff members to contact if you are concerned about your child’s mental health:

• Jackie Bramble – Pastoral Leader
• Duncan Quigley – Acting Headteacher
• Callum Moore – Acting Deputy Headteacher
• Katrina Vessey – Senior Mental Health Leader
• Victoria Shaw – ELSA (Emotional, Literacy Support Assistant)

Provision

To support wellbeing throughout the school, we have put the following provision in place:

• a designated Mental Health and Well Being Leader in school that is responsible for promoting wellbeing for our staff and pupils (Ms Vessey);
• a trained ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant), Ms Shaw, who works with identified children to develop emotional skills in liaison with our Inclusion Leader;
• nominated school council members in each class to represent their peers and gain feedback in class assemblies;
• extra transition sessions and meet the teacher sessions for when a pupil is finding a class move difficult;
• Key Stage 2 children as playground buddies to support younger children in positive play;
• positive behaviour systems in place to promote positive social behaviour;
• and, a PSHE curriculum that helps pupils to build important life skills, such as learning to learn, habits of mind and the growth mindset.

Additionally, the school provides:

Universal Support

To meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and our wider curriculum. This include schoolwide strategies such as the Zones of Regulation.

Additional Support

For those who may have short term needs and those who may have been made vulnerable by life experiences such as bereavement.

Targeted Support

For pupils who need more differentiated support and resources or specific targeted interventions such as wellbeing groups or personal mentors. We also utilise the school’s ELSA to provide targeted support.

Concerns

If you have concerns about a child’s wellbeing, you can:

• talk to your child’s class teacher or teaching assistant about your child’s needs or your concerns;
• Go to your GP;
• talk to the school’s Wellbeing Team – Jackie Bramble, Callum Moore or Duncan Quigley;
• or, use one of the organisations below: