Children's Mental Health

At Chapel Allerton Primary, we promote a mentally healthy environment through:

• Our schools values and encouraging a sense of belonging
• Valuing pupil voice and creating opportunities for children to participate in decision-making
• Ensuring positive social behaviours, through our positive behaviour systems
• Celebrating both academic and non-academic achievements to promote self-esteem
• Creating opportunities for our students to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others
• Understanding of emotions and feelings
• Enabling pupils to feel comfortable sharing concerns or worries
• Development of emotional resilience and to manage setbacks

We meet needs through differentiated levels of support:

• Universal support – to meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and wider curriculum. For instance, developing resilience for all.
• 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, school counselling.
• Lead staff members to contact if you are concerned about your child’s mental health: your Teacher, Mrs Sykes (Head Teacher), Mrs Pinder (Deputy Head Teacher), Mrs Jheeta and Miss Robbins (School Wellbeing Support).

To support the mental health and wellbeing for our pupils, we have:

• A staff well-being team made up of the following staff: Mrs Jheeta & Miss Robbins who support children daily 
• A pastoral team created to support all areas of a child's Social and Emotional Mental Health– Mrs Turnbull (SENDCo), Mrs Pinder (Behaviour Lead), Miss Robbins (Safeguarding and Wellbeing Officer) and Mrs Jheeta (Wellbeing Support)
• Worry boxes and cards in classrooms and in the main hallway across school for pupils to post their worries. These are collected regularly and a trusted adult will speak to the children involved
• Nominated school council members in each class to represent their peers and gain feedback
• Year 6 trained MindMate Ambassadors to help promote wellbeing
• Key Stage 2 Playground Leads and Play Buddys to support active lunchtimes across KS1 and KS2
• A range of student lead physical lunchtime activities and quieter lunchtime activities to promote mental health and wellbeing e.g. Chess, Dance, DSL and Coding Clubs
• Happy Minds Club- A lunchtime drop in for students to draw and talk- a space to be able to chat/share their worries with an adult
• Opportunities for parents to speak with the SENDCo – Mrs Turnbull, e.g. SEND coffee mornings
• Move up days, extra transition sessions and meet the teacher sessions for pupils moving classes or to high school;
• A designated safe and confidential counselling and wellbeing room
• Mental health and wellbeing assemblies to promote resilience and self-management
• A PSHE curriculum to support pupils to build important life skills, (i.e. habits of mind and the growth mindset)
• A school ethos promoting and supporting the development of skills and character traits such as perseverance, compassion and teamwork
• Daisy our wellbeing dog- For some extra fluffy cuddles
• We include Mental Health Awareness Week in the school calendar and plan activities for the whole school
• Chapel Allerton Primary has been awarded MindMate Friendly Status and PSHE Friendly Status
• We have a beautiful Wellbeing Garden and Forest School area that can be accessed at all times

Meet the Wellbeing Team 

School Wellbeing support & Counselling

• Chapel Allerton Primary recognise some pupils require additional psychotherapeutic support. We provide 1 to 1 in-school wellbeing sessions for pupils who would benefit from more in-depth wellbeing support.
• Counselling can be provided by a qualified school counsellor, funded by school, in partnership with the 2gether Cluster.
• Our school Wellbeing support worker Mrs Jheeta provides sessions in the Wellbeing room, a specially designed confidential, safe, child focused counselling style space in the heart of school.
• Wellbeing support at Chapel Allerton Primary supports pupils with a range of presenting issues including grief and loss, friendship struggles, family breakdown, emotional regulation difficulties and trauma and those who have or are experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). 
• Pupils can be referred by staff or parents/carers.