Parental Information

Mental Health and Well Being

'Personal development is a strength of the school.'  Ofsted, March 2024.

Glen Hills Primary School is proud to have been awarded 'Route to Resilience' accreditation for our commitment to wellbeing in school.

At Glen Hills, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff. We know that everyone experience life challenges that can make us vulnerable and, at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody's business and that we all have a role to play.

At our school, we promote a mentall healthy environment through:

• Promoting our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging
• Promoting the devlopment and strengthening of character muscles
• Promoting pupil voice and opportunities to participate in decision-making
• Celebrating academic and non-academic achievements in order to promote self-esteem
• Providing opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others
• Providing opportunities to reflect
• Access to appropriate support that meets their needs
• Helping children to understand their emotions and feelings better and to feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
• Helping children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks

We offer different levels of support:

Universal Support - To meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and our 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 or personal mentors.

Lead staff mentors to contact if you are concerned about your child's mental health:  Ms Variava (Pastoral Lead), Mrs Wesley (Headteacher), Miss Smith (Deputy Headteacher), Mr Storey (Deputy Headteacher) and Mrs Onions (Assistant Headteacher), Mrs Philips (ELSA support).

What do we currently do for mental health and wellbeing for our pupils and staff?

• We have a designated Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead in school that is responsible for promoting wellbeing for our staff and pupils (Ms Variava).
• We have a wellbeing team made up of the following staff: Mrs Phillips, Ms Variava, Mrs Wesley, Miss Smith and Mr Storey.
• We have 8 trained Wellbeing Ambassadors (Year 5 and Year 6 children) who support with mental health and wellbeing amongst their peers.
• We have two worry boxes in school (one in Phase 1 and one in Phase 2) where children can condifentially note down their worries and these are responded to by Ms Variava and the Wellbeing Ambassadors.
• We have nominated school council members in each Phase 2 class to represent their peers and gain feedback in class assemblies.
• We hold extra half-termly meetings for pupils who need more regular meetings to support their needs.
• We have parents' forum meetings for parents to attend and share their concerns and worries.
• We have home/school communication books for pupils who require more regular updates.
• We have move up days, extra transition sessions and meet the teacher sessions for when a pupil is finding a class move difficult.
• We have an allocated buddy for all new pupils.
• We have lunchtime drop ins for pupils to be able to chat/share their worries with an adult.
• We have Key Stage 2 children as play-leaders/sports coaches to support younger children in positive play.
• We havea range of physical lunchtime clubs and quieter lunchtime clubs to promote mental health and wellbeing and support for pupils who find busy lunchtimes stressful.
• We have mental health and wellbeing trained staff in order to support pupils with their needs.
• We have positive behaviour systems in place to promote positive social behaviour.
• We have mental health and wellbeing assemblies to promote resilience and self-management.
• We have a PSHE curriculum that helps pupils to build important life skills, such as learning to learn, habits of mind and the growth mindset.
• Our ethos is to promote supporting the development of skills and character traits such as perseverance, compassion and teamwork.
• We have a Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy for our school which is regularly updated.
• We have a Staff Wellbeing Charter.
• We include Word Mental Health Day and Mental Health Awareness Week in the school calendar and plan activities for the whole school.

Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)

What is ELSA?

There will always be children and young people in schools facing life challenges that detract from their ability to engage with learning.  Some will require greater support to increse their emotional literacy than others.  ELSA is an initiative developed and supported by educational psychologists.  It recognises that children learn better and are happier in school if their emotional needs are also addressed.

We are fortunate to have a qualified Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) at Glen Hills Primary School.  Mrs Karen Philips has been trained by educational psychologists to plan and deliver programmes of support to pupils who are experiencing temporary or longer term additional emotional needs.  The majority of ELSA work is delivered through group work, but sometimes individual sessions are more appropriate.  Sessions are fun using a range of activities such as: games, role-play with puppets or arts and crafts.  ELSA sessions take place in our newly refurbished 'Acorn Room' which provides a calm, safe space for the child to feel supported and nurtured.

In ELSA we aim to provide support for a wide range of emotional needs:

Recognising emotions

Self-esteem

Social skills

Friendship skills

Anger management

Loss and bereavement

How does ELSA work?

Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher, senior leaders or the SENDCo.  Every half term, referrals are reviewed to identify and prioritise which children require a weekly programme for the next 6-8 weeks.  With the programme aims in mind, we then plan support sessions to facilitate the pupil in developing new skills and coping strategies that allow them to manage social and emotional demands more effectively.

Supporting - not fixing

Remember, ELSAs are not there to fix children's problems.  What we can do is provide emotional support.

We aim to establish a warm, respectful relationship with a pupil and to provide a reflective space where they are able to share honestly their thoughts and feelings.  

It needs to be appreciated that change cannot necessarily be achieved rapidly and is dependent upon the context and complexity of the presenting issues.  For children with complex or long-term needs it is unrealistic to expect ELSA intervention to resolve all their difficulties, however support will be designed to target specific aspects of a child's need.  Training and development of ELSAs is an ongoing process and wisdom is required to recognise when issues are beyond the level of expertise that could reasonably be expected of an ELSA.  The educational psychologist that works with our school would be able to offer advice on suitability or nature of ELSA involvement in complex cases.

Positive Experiences

Glen Hills offers pupils many opportunities to do physical activities as well as opportunities to relax, which both are ways to promote wellbeing and positive mental health.

• Lunch games to play outside during 'Happy Lunchtimes'
• Library open each lunch to borrow books to read
• Active Learning
• Relaxed Kids Nurture Group
• Home Learning Projects
• Themed Days
• Residential visits
• Educational day visits
• Before and after school clubs
• Extra-curricular clubs such as art, cooking, gardening, singing and drama.

Celebrating Success

We like to celebrate our many successes together by:

• Displaying pupils' work
• Achievement Award Assemblies each week
• 'Table of Aweseomness' lunchtime treat for pupils nominated by midday teachers
• Class assemblies
• School newsletters
• House points and Character Muscles stickers/awards
• Kindness postcards
• Route to Resilience awards
• Governor Award Assemblies.

School Nurse

Glen Hills has a dedicated School Nursing Team, who can support children and their families through school.

The School Nursing Service is a central and accesible point of contact for children, young people and their families, working with both health and non-health professionals, to promote and support their identified physical, emotional and social needs.  It delivers year round nurse-led health provision by incorporating an age appropriate public health service spanning the age group of 4+ years to 19 years.  The School Nursing Team is represented by Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCPHN), School Nurses and School Nurse Assistants.

The School Nurse Team will promote the holistic health of the school-aged population.  This may include:

Smoking cessation

Relaxation

Support for parents and carers in behaviour management on a 'one-one' basis

Sexual health advice/support

Enuresis (healthy bowel and healthy bladder) support/advice/clinics

Drugs and alcohol advice/support

Promotes and supports the immunisation programmes in schools

Advice and support on health issues to children and young people with ongoing or specific health needs

Health assessment/surveillance

Being part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP)

Promote emotional health and wellbeing

Promote healthy weight/lifestyles

Our service is delivered from:

Health Centres

Schools

Patients' homes

Children Centres

Community Centres

Click here for contact details and more information about the Leicestershire School Nurse Team

Early Help

Glen Hills can make referrals to the Early Help team for the following:

• Family support for short-term parenting and behaviour support
• Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners to help with children aged 8 years and over who are anxious or depressed but aren't involved with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• Pathway Coordinators where cases are comples, children have been exluded from school and there are many services already involved that need coordination
• Group Support including support for managing anger, Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), keeping safe and feeling safe
• Supporting Leicestershire Families who provide intensive family support for families who have a range of needs which impact on family functioning including: a range of health and/or mental health concerns; anti-social behaviour or criminal activity; unemployment or housing difficulties; education difficulties including children at risk of exclusion; domestic abuse
• Children's Centres who offer a range o services to families of children aged 0 - 5 years including parenting groups, speech and language, baby massage etc.  They focus on vulnerable families, with the main provision being the 0 - 2 year pathway which supports families from pregnancy to their 2 year old checks
• Youth Offending Service who offer preventative services to young people aged 8 - 15 years who are at risk of offending.