“We do breathing after every lunchtime. I like bunny breaths the best” Upper Foundation
“We do our feelings chart every day so the teacher can make sure everyone is okay” Year 1
“We have a worry box in our class that we can put our worries in” Year 2
Senior Mental Health Lead – Mrs Poole
Mental Health First Aiders- Mrs Poole, Mrs Haley, Miss Hemingway and Mrs Finney
Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development. Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders. It exists on a complex continuum, which is experienced differently from one person to the next, with varying degrees of difficulty and distress and potentially very different social and clinical outcomes” (World Health Organization).
At Dimple Well, the well-being of all our children, staff and parents is paramount. The teaching of mental health and emotional wellbeing is a golden thread that runs through our whole curriculum and school ethos. Our policies and procedures aim to ensure that all children are safe, happy and healthy. We have a children’s ‘Wellbeing Team’ in school with a representative from each class. The Wellbeing Team meet every half term with our school’s Future In Mind Senior Mental Health Practitioner to discuss ideas and implement new initiatives within school.
We recognise that every individual has mental health and that no one’s mental health remains the same as they move through life. Everyone’s mental health can move up and down the continuum and can fluctuate due to a variety of different factors. We are all at different places on that continuum at any given time, depending on our lives and what might be happening for us. Depending on our ability to cope, we may move up and down from day to day, week to week, or even year to year. Everyone has different triggers, flashpoints and levels of resilience. It is important to be aware that some people mask how they are feeling.
Taking care of your own mental health is vitally important. It’s okay to reach out for support from friends, families and organisations that can provide help and to find support where and when you require it.
Our staff mental health team (see above) are all Mental Health First Aid trained and have undertaken various courses to support children’s, staff, and parent’s mental health and well-being. Please get in touch if you wish to find out more and see additional signposting for further support below.