Phoenix Primary School is a school that promotes mental health and well-being for all our children, parent/carers, staff and Governors.

Intent

Our aim is to ensure that children are able to cope and manage times of change and stress, ensuring that they are supported to reach their potential or access help when they need it. We also have a role in ensuring that children learn about: what they can do to maintain positive mental health; what affects their mental health; how they can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and where they can go if they need help or support.

Positive mental health and well-being is fundamental to our values, mission and culture.

Phoenix Primary School is a school that promotes mental health and well-being for all our children, parent/carers, staff and Governors.

Our Mental Health and Well-being team:

Mrs S. Jones - Head Teacher

Mrs K. Barr - Deputy Headteacher/SEND

Miss J. Morris - Mental Health Lead

Mrs N. Kavanagh - School Family Link Worker

Miss D. Mills - PSHE Lead

Mrs. S. Y. Irwin - RE Lead

Mr. K. Preston - co-PE Lead

Implementation

Teaching about mental health

At Phoenix, we take a whole school approach to promoting positive mental health, aiming to help children become more resilient, happy and successful and to work in a pro-active way to avoid problems arising. We do this by:

• Creating and applying consistent ethos, policies and behaviours that support mental health and resilience, and which everyone understands.
• Using the Thrive approach which is implemented throughout school.
• Fully trained Th.Inc. room practitioners to support children who require early intervention.
• Implementing strategies and resources from ROAR to assist children in understanding their mental health.
• The use of ROAR rainbow throughout school with every member of staff trained so a child can ‘check in’ and be supported when needed.
• Buddy systems to support children new to school, children feeling lonely or just need a friend.
• ROCKET (Resilient Open Caring Kind Equal) monitors supporting peers throughout school.
• Helping children to develop social relationships, support each other and seek help when they need it through Thrive, PSHE, P4C and opportunities in lessons to collaborate.
• Promoting self-esteem and ensuring children understand their importance in the World.
• Helping children to be resilient learners and to manage setbacks through ROAR and Thrive.
• Teaching children social and emotional skills and an awareness of mental health.
• A worry box is present in every classroom.
• Children having access to calming kits in classrooms to help them regulate when feeling distressed.
• P4C lessons which encourages children to think critically, creatively, collaboratively and caringly.
• Gratitude jars in every class to allow for time for children to reflect and be thankful.
• Mindfulness and meditation timetabled daily.
• Identifying children who have mental health challenges and planning support to meet their needs, including working with specialist services, parents and carers.
• Supporting and training staff to develop their skills and their own resilience.
• Developing an open culture where it’s normal to talk about mental health.

Impact

Supporting our students emotional needs is paramount, embedding the right language, tone and ensuring we attune with our students in dysregulation is an area in which we excel. 

We are seeing a positive impact our approach is having on our children as we give them to tools to recognise their own feelings and sensations within their body, being able to identify what their body needs and any help they require. We are making positive steps in the right direction.

Parents and carers

Parents or carers should approach their child/children’s class teacher if they have any mental health concerns. The Mental Health Lead will be informed and carry out the necessary assessment. In addition to offering universal support within school, we may also discuss with you additional support available to you from the following agencies:

School Nursing Service www.healthforkids.co.uk (Interactive website for children and parents)

Step2

CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service)

School Family Worker

Play Therapist

EMHP (Educational Mental Health Practitioner)