Pupil Wellbeing
Across our Trust, schools are focusing on the health and wellbeing of our children with a variety of ways to offer mindfulness, guidance and support.
Meditation and Yoga
Ms Dolan, one of our Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA) at Rossett Acre Primary School, delivers yoga and meditation lunchtime sessions to some of the year 6 students. Yoga and mindfulness have been shown to improve both physical and mental health in school-age children. Yoga improves balance, strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity in children. Yoga and mindfulness offer psychological benefits for children and can improve focus memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behaviour and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children.
Wellbeing Toolkits
Our colleagues at Coppice Valley Primary School have developed Wellbeing Toolkits to support each child's mental health. These toolkits help children understand the balance of time they need with friends, outdoor activities, and hobbies to maintain their well-being. They also include daily mindful breathing exercises and opportunities to participate in community projects, providing a sense of purpose.
Mental Health Awareness Week
Across our Trust, colleagues and pupils supported Mental Health Awareness Week with lots of activities and events taking place. At Temple Learning Academy, Ms Harrison (ELSA Practitioner) and Mrs Campey (Safeguarding Officer) were available to pupils during break times manning their Mental Health Awareness stand, offering information, advice, and support. This is in addition to the regularly updated information on display in school, which all students have access to year-round.
Buddy Bench
At Colton Primary School, a Buddy Bench has been introduced to the playground so that children who are feeling lonely or just want to talk can take a seat and a friendly peer will join them.
Worry Wizard
The Worry Wizard visited Rossett Acre Primary School and led some well-being workshops for children in EYFS – Y2 with the focus: ‘I’ve got magic inside me”. The Worry Wizard helps children to understand their emotions, to know it is ok to feel all our emotions and to teach them what they can do when they feel their big emotions. The children learnt that they all have magic within themselves and that they are all amazing!
SMILE
Children across the UK are experiencing extremely high levels of gum disease and oral decay and outside of London, Yorkshire has the highest number of pre-schoolers presenting with these symptoms. Meadowfield Primary School has rolled out a toothbrushing programme throughout school. With the help of the fabulous Mrs Ullyart, all pupils at Meadowfield, from reception to Year 5, brish their teeth in school, every day.
Wellbeing Art Club
At Oatlands Junior School, Mrs Alderson runs a very popular Art Wellbeing Club, twice a week after school. This club focuses on using art to enhance wellbeing and takes place in the school’s dedicated art studio, where children can access a wide variety of art materials, including clay, printmaking tools, fabrics, and paints. Children either followed their own interests independently or collaborated with others. Mrs Alderson introduced various skills, techniques, and materials, allowing children to choose what they created.
Counselling and Emotional Wellbeing Team
Our Cluster Counselling and Emotional Wellbeing Team provides 1:1 early intervention counselling and emotional wellbeing support for children and young people. They support children and young people experiencing issues with low mood, anxiety, trauma, bereavement, loss, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. Advice, guidance, and consultation is also offered to schools and partners. This team also support children who are at risk of, or have attempted suicide, or that have or are at risk of significant mental health breakdown. They support schools and families to manage this risk in universal settings alongside specialist services.
