At East-the-Water Primary School, we work really hard to support your children with their wellbeing and mental health each day
Our Relationships Education covers the statutory curriculum and is progressive from Year 1 – Year 6. As part of this, children are taught to:
- Recognise their own and others feelings in regards to mental wellbeing
- Develop strategies to support their wellbeing (such as knowing how to deal with worries)
- Have a deeper understanding about empathy and compassion for others
The Curriculum section of our website gives greater detail including the Curriculum Map and Policy.
Day-to-day, we support wellbeing in class through:
- A soft start to the school day so that individuals have time to be welcomed, discuss any worries and settle happily into the school day
- Having a strong team of teaching assistants that always seem to find time to talk to your child when they are worried or upset
- An open door approach from Senior Leaders to support children (rarely is there a day when there are no children around or in their rooms)
- Every classroom has a calm box and space in the classroom to access it
- Having a strong pastoral team that support children through interventions such as Drawing & Talking or the Talkabout programme
- Having active playtimes with lots of exciting clubs as well as quiet zones for those who prefer them
- Teachers are trained to write social stories to support children with scenarios that they might find difficult (such as falling out with friends or worrying about their spellings)
- Each class has a teaching assistant trained in how to make a comic strip conversation to support children with issues that arise
Place2Be
- Place2Be is a national charity supporting our school to improve the confidence and wellbeing of children and young people.
- A trained counsellor works individually with children 2 days a week
- The counsellor also offers Place2Talk on Mondays and Tuesdays at lunchtimes. These sessions are open to any child from Year 3-6 who may want to discuss any worries or issues they have, either in and out of school
Online resources for parents and children
Online there are a range of websites that may be of use to you as parents to support either your own or your child’s wellbeing. Please click on the links below if you are interested in finding out more.
luminova.app – a digital game, funded by NHS England, it helps builds resilience for young people to learn they can cope with their worries or fears. Free for families in Devon, it is aimed at children age 7-12. Each game is for around 30-40 minutes and it is best that the child completes the game 3-4 x a week.
Happy Maps – provides support for parents and children around behaviour and mental health.
Stop Breathe Think – provides young people access to free 1-1 counselling from the age of 8.
Youngminds – provide young people with tools to look after their mental health. Their website is full of advice and information on what to do if you’re struggling with how you feel. They also empower parents and adults who work with young people, to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives.
Devon Partnerships Talkworks – are a team of qualified psychological wellbeing practitioners and psychological therapists. They have five team bases across Devon where they are able to see people locally in a wide range of settings, including GP surgeries, hospitals, community centres and children centres.
Kooth – provide free, safe and anonymous online support and counselling. The Kooth team are made up of friendly and experienced individuals who want to help you.
