Mental Health and Well-being at Holmesdale Infant School 

At Holmesdale Infant School, we aim to promote positive mental health and well-being for our whole school community (children, staff, parents and carers). We know that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall well-being. We believe that good well-being and mental health are key to becoming successful and engaged learners. Children need to build confidence and self-belief so that they can participate in new experiences, take risks and challenge themselves. Above all children need and deserve to be happy. Put simply; happy children learn!

Positive mental health is promoted explicitly in PSHE lessons throughout the year, but enabling children to develop life-long attitudes toward this happens every day, through every adult interaction a child has and by adults being exemplary role models. We teach the children that there are a whole range of emotions such as, happiness, sadness, joy, anger, frustration and contentment. We teach them how to recognise such emotions and understand when and why they or others might be feeling a certain way. By doing this we can then show children ways in which they can help themselves in resolving problems that arise from certain feelings and moods.

As a school we are here to support all our families, children and their parents and carers, so please do come and talk to us about any worries or concerns you may have about your child or family. Your happiness is of paramount importance to us. 

In school we offer many different approaches to support the children with any difficulties they might have, below are some of the things we offer.

Positive Play – gives children space to express and communicate feelings and difficulties in their lives, through a variety of media in constructive rather than aggressive ways and in a safe non-threatening environment. This happens in our specially dedicated space, ‘The Sunshine Room’, where children feel safe and are engaged easily.

Nurture – weekly small group sessions with trained TA’s. These sessions offer time and space for informal discussion whilst engaging in relaxing creative activities. Nurture groups run over a half term.

Mindfulness – Dedicated mindfulness professional to support individual or small groups of children to understand and work through emotions, finding strategies to deal with these emotions when they have negative impact on the child and those around them.

Vision statement - CLICK HERE TO READ

Family support worker – Miss Emma Sutton is now our dedicated family support worker. She is available in school to talk to about any issues you may have that are concerning you, your child or other members of your family. Please call the office to make an appointment. 

 

 

 

 

Miss Sutton - FSW

 

 

 

 

 

 

WAS Award - Well-being Award for Schools

This year Holmesdale Infant School is working hard to achieve a well-being award. This will help us develop further our approach to the well-being of the whole Holmesdale family and build on the good practice in place. We have analysed the responses to the questionnaire that you completed and now have a strategy in place.

Click here to read it - 

Strategy

WAS AWARD Poster

 

 

We are proud to have achieved the Well-being Award for Schools!

Click here to read  Holmesdale Infant School WAS verification report