Wellbeing and Pastoral

Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing

At Great Malvern we recognise that in order for children to flourish we need to consider, and be aware of, both physical and mental well being. We know that children who are experiencing challenges with their well being are less able to actively engage with their learning or with their peers. As a school, we promote well being through promoting opportunities to be physically active as well as supporting our children to be well being aware. Staff work closely with children and families and know them well so we can work together to smooth out the inevitable ups and downs they experience as they develop and grow.

In school all our staff have training in supporting children's emotional health. Our mental health well-being lead is Miss Richards who can be contacted via GMPSSENDCo@metacademies.org.uk

Mrs Williams is our Pastoral Lead, she works with children to develop and support their mental well-being in line with our TIS approach. As part of her work Mrs Williams leads forest school sessions for whole classes as well as small group and one to one sessions to support children's individual needs. Mrs Williams' support forms part of our graduated response to mental health and well being.

At our school through our PSHE curriculum we:

• help children to understand their emotions and feelings better
• help children feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
• help children socially to form and maintain relationships
• promote self-esteem and ensure children have a voice
• encourage our children to be change makers
• develop the crucial characteristics of brave, strong and fearless to encourage children to undertake challenge, overcome setbacks and develop resilience

Below are some useful links:

Mental Health Foundation

www.mentalhealth.org.uk UK charity dedicated to finding and addressing the sources of mental health issues. Includes information, research, resources and an invaluable A–Z of mental health terms.

Heads Together

www.headstogether.org.uk A campaign to end stigma around mental health spearheaded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Heads Together aims to change the national conversation on mental health and wellbeing.

Place2Be

www.place2be.org.uk Telephone: 0207 923 5500 Email: enquiries@place2be.org.uk Offers a range of counselling support for young people in schools helping them to cope with wide-ranging and often complex social issues including bullying, bereavement, domestic violence, family breakdown, neglect and trauma.

YoungMinds

www.youngminds.org.uk Telephone: 0808 802 5544 (weekdays 9:30am – 4pm) The UK’s leading charity committed to improving emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people and empowering their parents and carers.

MindEd

www.minded.org.uk Free educational resource on children and young people's mental health for all adults. MindEd for Families has online advice and information from trusted sources and will help you to understand and identify early issues and best support your child. Also includes e-learning resources for professionals and volunteers.

ChildLine

www.childLine.org.uk Telephone: 0800 1111 Counselling service for parents, children and young people. It also offers multilingual services to South Asian communities living in the UK. Languages include Bengali/Sylheti, Gujurati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English. Help and advice is free and confidential.

Trauma Informed Schools

Supporting Wellbeing at Great Malvern through a TIS approach

Staff at Great Malvern are trained by a Trauma Informed School (TIS) practitioner. TIS recognises the impact of yearly childhood trauma and supports children with their emotional health, well-being and social skills; all of which are needed for learning to take place. It is based on up to date brain science and research into child development and helps all the staff in our school to adapt their approach to individual children to build self-esteem, well-being and positive behaviour.​

For us this means that we have TIS embedded within our whole school ethos, we passionately believe in and deliver a creative curriculum which builds children's social and emotional resilience.

With the support of TIS trained staff, adults learn how to help children and young people to:

• feel good about themselves
• know that they matter
• become more resilient and resourceful
• have a positive place in society
• form trusting, rewarding relationships
• be creative
• be compassionate and empathetic
• be thoughtful and self-aware
• be productive
• be able to overcome difficulties and setbacks

At times we use TIS approaches with individual children whilst on other occasions the approaches are tailored to meet the needs of whole classes. The emphasis is on providing positive, descriptive feedback to children. Activities are based on the arts and unleashing children's creative talents. We use puppets, sandpits, feathers, mirrors, sensory blocks and raw materials that enable children to creatively express their thoughts, emotions and sensations. Adopting a helpful attitude is key to successes. By working in this extremely focused way with individual children we can really make a difference to their social and emotional resilience.

PACE - Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy

pace-nhs-wales

At Great Malvern Primary School, we are passionate about play both inside and outside the classroom. We believe that play is a fundamental part of childhood and a natural language that connects children of all ages. Play plays a vital role in building and protecting children's mental wellbeing, emotional regulation and resilience. 

Through play, children can express, explore and work through complex feelings, even when they do not yet have the words to describe or understand their emotions. Play provides a safe space for children to develop self-awareness, confidence and emotional strength. 

High-quality play helps children reduce stress, worries and anxieties. It enables them to learn how to stay calm, self-soothe, feel safe and remain engaged in their learning and relationships. When children play alongside others, they develop important life skills such as patience, cooperation, turn-taking, problem-solving and conflict resolution. These experiences strengthen communication skills, emotional understanding and empathy. 

Across our school, you will see staff actively modelling and encouraging positive play throughout the day, both in classrooms and during breaktimes and lunchtimes. 

Our playground offers a wide range of stimulating opportunities for children, including: 

1.      Performance area
2.      Mindfulness area
3.      Sports area
4.      Mud Kitchen
5.      Den-building zone
6.      Water and sand play
7.      Small world play area
8.      Adventure playground
9.      Daily organised sports activities

We are proud of our Year 6 Young Leaders, who help to set up and lead play activities at lunchtime across the different playground zones, encouraging all children to join in and have fun together. 

Our Year 6 Mental Health Ambassadors also play an important role in promoting positive wellbeing. They facilitate mindfulness activities, support their peers and lead our Mental Health Mondays, modelling the benefits of healthy play and demonstrating how play can support emotional wellbeing and positive mental health. 

At Great Malvern Primary School, we believe that play is not simply a break from learning; it is an essential part of learning, growth and wellbeing, helping every child to thrive socially, emotionally and academically.