Mental Health And Wellbeing
Cheriton is a Primary School which nurtures and promotes the importance of resilience, independence, kindness and communication as fundamental values linked to wellbeing which prepare our children for life in the wider world.
‘Mental Health is a state of Wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.’ (World Health Organisation)
Positive emotional Wellbeing includes the ability for children to:
- Feel confident in themselves
- Be able to make and maintain positive relationships
- Be able to express a range of emotions appropriately
- Cope with stresses of everyday life and be able to deal with change
- Learn and achieve.
At Cheriton we recognize that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing, as well as their learning and social and emotional achievements.
The role of the school is to ensure that children are able to manage times of change and stress, supporting in reaching their potential and to access help when they might need it. School also has a role in reducing stigma surrounding mental health issues across the whole school community. The aim is to help develop proactive factors which build resilience and to be a school where we:
- Develop an ethos and environment that supports learning and promotes wellbeing for all
- Promotes kindness, caring and respect for each other
- Builds resilience and independency
- Develops a sense of belonging, encouraging participation of all within the school community
- Encourage pupil relationships and give the children the opportunity to talk about their concerns.
We have a dedicated team of children, staff, governors and parents who are striving to provide the best wellbeing and mental health support for all members of our school community.
We have Wellbeing Ambassadors from each of the year groups in the school. These children receive wellbeing training to help support their peers and work on wellbeing initiatives throughout the year to promote positive mental health attitudes. They will be supported by the Wellbeing Team who consist of:
Jon Allcock: Senior Mental Health Lead, SENDCo & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Sue King: Family Liaison Officer and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Sarah Elliott: Wellbeing Governor
Shane Thatcher: Wellbeing Governor and Y6 Class Teacher
Toby Oliver: PSHE Subject Lead and Class Teacher
Emma Harman: Y6 Teaching Assistant
Aashika Tamang: Y5 Teaching Assistant
Belinda Westcott: YR Teaching Assistant
Mary Ellis: School Council Lead and Y5 Teacher
Denise Ferguson: Y4 Teaching Assistant.
If your child is aged 4 -19 and struggling with their emotional health, you can access support from the Children and Young People’s Counselling Service. Click here, or ring 0800 0113 474 for more information.
Here are some useful websites where you can find support, advice and ideas on how to support yourself and your children:
Mental Wellbeing Ideas - Advice and information about improving children's mental wellbeing.
