Children's Mental Health Week 2024
The theme this year was 'Our Voice Matters'. Alongside a range of activities, each year group explored a young person, whose voice matters, to highlight that you don't have to be a grown-up for your voice to matter. Year 1 learnt about Easton La Chapelle. When he was 14, he designed new affordable prosthetics made from Lego and fishing wire. They had a go at designing their own prosthetic limbs from affordable materials we have at school. 
Reception researched a girl called Marley Dias. Marley was frustrated because she couldn’t find anyone like her in the books she was reading. The children went to the library to find books with people who reminded them of themselves. This reminded us of the story we shared at Christmas where the girl in the story couldn’t understand why the angels on trees didn’t look like her! Year 2 explored the environmental activist Greta Thunberg. They found out about how Greta wanted to use her voice when she was just 15 years old, to make a difference to Global warming.
Children's Mental Health Week 2023
This year's theme is 'Let's Connect' and we spent time helping the children explore how they can come together to help each other.
Year 2 read the book 'Everything is Connected' and used it as a stimulus for P4C discussion. To take a look at some of the questions they generated and their thoughts please click below.
Health and Wellbeing
Your child's wellbeing is very important to us! We believe that in order to be a successful learner, children need to feel safe, happy and confident to take on board new challenges and experiences.
Our Heartsmart curriculum is a creative approach that many primary schools use to build character, emotional health and resilience in children. We feel it equips them with foundational principles and skills that will improve their mental health, relationships and academic achievement.
For children who need additional support with their wellbeing, we offer the following three interventions;
ELSA (Emotional Learning Support Assistant) We plan and deliver programmes of support to children who are experiencing emotional difficulties. The adult leads the session, teaching new skills and targets, outcomes and progress are reviewed regularly
TALA (Therapeutic Active Listening Assistant) TALA offers an emotionally safe and supportive space in which pupils can explore their feelings and experiences. They are heard by the practitioner on a deeper level using active listening. Our trained TALA is Mrs Langley who works weekly with children on an individual basis for about 30-45 minutes.
Drawing and Talking This is a child-centred one to one intervention focusing on supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people. The technique is intended to allow the child to play, by drawing a picture, and process any emotions they are holding internally in a safe and nonconfrontational way, working at their own pace. Mrs Langley is our trained therapist who leads this intervention.
If you are at all worried about your child's mental health or wellbeing, do come in and speak to any one of our team. There are many ways we can support your child.
Your wellbeing as a parent or career is also important to us. Our Family Support Worker is Holly Saunders and you are very welcome to pop in to see her before or after school, or make an appointment for a different time.
Please see below a very useful resource to support mental health created by CAMHS.
The Good Mental Health Handbook
You may find the advice on the following link from the Anna Freud centre helpful and supportive for your own self care
Self care for parents and carers
If you are looking for some support with positive parenting at home, then do take a look at Hampshire's Primary Behaviour Service. They have put together some great advice for parents covering a range of topics and questions from sleep to positive parenting routines and much more. These are really useful guides with hints and tips. Hampshire Primary behaviour Website
Place2be is an organisation focused on improving children's mental health. They have a section for parents/careers and a wealth of resources to support both children and adults.
Young Minds is a mental health charity which has a website full of information and advice on what to do if you or your child are struggling with how you feel.
Hampshire County Council has partnered with the Solihull Approach to provide free, evidence-based online courses with practical tips and advice to boost parent's and carer's confidence, help them navigate family life, and strengthen their relationships. Whether you are a mum, dad, foster parent or grandparent, there is a course for you. Once registered, families receive unlimited access to the courses and can go back to them as their children grow. The interactive courses cover topics like:
Understanding pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby (Antenatal)
Understanding your baby (Postnatal)
Understanding your child with additional needs (0-19 years)
Understanding your child’s mental health and wellbeing
Understanding the impact of the pandemic on your child/teenager
Understanding your brain (for teenagers only)
Understanding your feelings (for teenagers only)
Developed by psychologists and professionals, they have been designed to help you understand your child’s feelings, development and behaviour, as well as focus on your own feelings as you grow as a family.
To register for parent courses, you will need to have a Hampshire postcode and complete the following steps:
1. Visit https://inourplace.co.uk/
2. Select ‘Apply Access Code’
3. Enter the access code: FAMILY
4. Enter your information and select the relevant course
Further information can be found at: Solihull Approach
Keep Your Cool Toolbox gives parents and carers access to quick, effective ways to help young children better manage their emotions
