Wellbeing of Children
The Wellbeing and Mental Health of children is a priority at St Wilfrid’s. We aim to support the whole child and seek out opportunities to help children flourish spiritually and in their wellbeing. Through our PSHE and RSE curriculum we support children to recognise and name their emotions, to have strategies to support their own wellbeing and to know who they can speak to when they need further help. Theme weeks highlight mental health and wellbeing, whilst school staff and guest speakers help create an everyday culture where mistakes are a part of learning, where it is okay to feel a range of emotions, and where experiences of how resilience has been found in hard times are shared. HeartSmart and The Coram Life Caravan are both important elements in supporting the Mental Health and Wellbeing of all children across school.
Through our STEM room we help children learn about the importance of a healthy diet, whilst our PE and sporting opportunities encourage the participation of all children in regular sport; introducing more unfamiliar sports in addition to furthering opportunities for those identified as having specific interests and talents. We want to encourage the regular participation in sport for all our children as a life-long habit. As part of our Recovery Curriculum, healthy lifestyles have been at the heart of learning with Skillwise Sports engaging with identified groups throughout lunch times and in holiday activities to promote the development of social skills as well as healthy bodies.
From Nursery onwards the importance of relaxation and mindfulness is encouraged. We have a well-resourced, dedicated sensory room where small groups or whole classes can have sensory needs met, from specific sensory diets recommended by Occupational Therapists to whole class relaxation and yoga sessions. From an early age children are introduced to the concept of mental health and the importance of keeping ourselves mentally and physically healthy.
We provide additional support to children, individually and in small groups, through the role of our Learning Mentor who works on a referral basis with children. Children are encouraged to self-refer but can also be referred by parents and staff in school for support with friendships, developing self-esteem and understanding social situations.
Children who need further support can be referred to our Wigan Family Welfare Counsellor who comes to school every week to work directly with children. Further information on our counselling service can be found using the link below. We also have a CAMHS link worker who engages with pastoral staff on a half termly basis to provide support and to advise when further outside agency support is required, and can work directly with families and children. CAMHS have also supported us in running workshops helping families prepare their children for transition to high school.
Children are also supported to respect each other and to understand their role as global citizens. We have links with the ‘Pearl Of Africa Children’s choir’ and children are encouraged to learn from other cultures and understand the impact their choices have on the wellbeing of others; whether this be on others within their class, school or community or others in the wider world. Through their learning about the Pearl of Africa choir our children considered the personal skills of the children who are part of the choir, who travel widely and perform at such a high level, as well as learning about Uganda, Ugandan culture and how money given to support others can be used.
Children are also taught to be advocates for others, to find their voice, to speak out on issues that matter to them and explore other issues where they can be a voice for others. Having a healthy mind includes knowing how to speak out. Picture News is a valuable resource that supports children in gaining a global perspective and children are encouraged to ask questions and consider issues through the lens of our Christian Values. In recent years, children have researched and looked at how they can take action on plastic pollution, the use of palm oil and deforestation and how they can raise money for a sibling and past member of our school to have an off-road wheelchair, so he can enjoy the freedoms that they enjoy. They are encouraged to look at ways we can make society more equal so we can all enjoy life. Staff are also encouraged to raise awareness of topics that are important to them as part of the wellbeing of our school family.
As part of having positive mental health, children are supported to research and share their understanding of challenging topics that are of interest to them and to feel they have a voice. In recent years, our Year 6 children have chosen topics such as equality and diversity, gender roles and discrimination when representing the school to present at the Rotary Youth Speaks competition.
Supporting children to recognise their own wellbeing and mental health needs is an important part of our PSHE and RSE curriculum and a foundation for their learning as St Wilfrid’s Church of England Primary Academy.
Understanding your child's mental health and wellbeing
BRAND NEW ONLINE TRAINING COURSE 'Understanding your child's mental health and wellbeing' from the Solihull Approach (NHS)
Access for free:
Did you know Wigan Borough Council have PRE-PAID for every parent and carer in Wigan to access a course for parents/carers (access now for life-long access) FREE (with access code: DEAL2030 at https://clicktime.symantec.com/3HU8y26fpx3LExnsmv21dyx6H2?u=www.inourplace.co.uk) for residents in our area. There are courses for parents, carers and grandparents about children from bump to 19+ years.
How do I access?
What’s the code?
If you haven’t used it already here is the access code for all the online courses (funded for residents): DEAL2030
If, like many parents, you have already used this code, log into your account here and this course will be ready in your dashboard to start whenever you are ready.
Can I tell my family and friends?
Absolutely! Share the news with family members and other families in the area so that they too can take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.
How long is it?
‘Understanding your child’s mental health and wellbeing’ itself is in 2 parts (2 modules long in total):
Take Part 1….
…then take ‘Understanding your child’ OR ‘Understanding your child with additional needs’ (11 modules each taking 10-15 minutes to complete, benefitting from time to digest in between)….
…then take Part 2.
If you like this…
…you might like the other courses ‘Understanding your teenager’s brain’ (short course) or ‘Understanding your child’s feelings’ (taster course) , or other courses in the series. www.inourplace.co.uk