At Parklands, we promote a mentally healthy environment through promoting:

• Our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging;
• Pupil voice and opportunities to participate in decision-making;
• Positive social behaviours, through positive behaviour systems;
• Academic and non-academic achievements to promote self-esteem;
• Opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others;
• Understanding of emotions and feelings and enable pupils to feel comfortable sharing concerns or worries;
• Development of emotional resilience and to manage setbacks.

We meet needs through differentiated levels of support:

• Universal support – to meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and 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, school counselling.
• Lead staff members to contact if you are concerned about your child’s mental health: your Teacher, Mrs Darley (Head Teacher), Mrs Rennison (Deputy Head Teacher), Mrs Richardson and Mrs Graham, Philippa Youlden (School Counsellor)

To support the mental health and wellbeing for our pupils, we have:

• A staff well-being team made up of the following staff: Mrs Graham & Mrs Richardson who support children daily and an in-school psychotherapeutic counsellor, Philippa Youlden;
• Worry boxes and cards across school for pupils to post worries. These are collected regularly and a trusted adult will speak to the children involved;
• Nominated school council members in each class to represent their peers and gain feedback;
• Year 6 trained Wellbeing Champions to help promote wellbeing;
• Key Stage 2 trained Playground Leads to support active lunchtimes across KS1 and KS2;
• A range of physical lunchtime activities and quieter lunchtime activities to promote mental health and wellbeing;
• Lunchtime drop ins for pupils to be able to chat/share their worries with an adult;
• Opportunities for parents to speak with the SENDCo – Mrs Woodcock, e.g. at Parents Evening;
• Move up days, extra transition sessions and meet the teacher sessions for pupils moving classes or to high school;
• Lunchtime drop-ins for pupils to be able to chat/share their worries with an adult;
• A designated safe and confidential counselling and wellbeing room.;
• Mental health and wellbeing assemblies to promote resilience and self-management;
• A PSHE curriculum to support pupils to build important life skills, (i.e. habits of mind and the growth mindset);
• A school ethos promoting and supporting the development of skills and character traits such as perseverance, compassion and teamwork;
• We include Mental Health Awareness Week in the school calendar and plan activities for the whole school.

Positive Experiences:

• Parklands offers pupils many opportunities to be physically active as well as opportunities to relax, which both are ways to promote wellbeing and positive mental health.

What We Provide:

• Themed days;
• Guest speakers;
• Residential visits;
• Educational day visits;
• Before and after school clubs;
• Extra-curricular clubs such as computing and sports.

Celebrating Success
We like to celebrate our many successes together by:

• Posting achievements on Seesaw to celebrate what is taking place;
• Displaying pupils’ work in class;
• Star of the Week Award Assembly each week;
• Pupil Passports which follow the children through school as they gain unique experiences;
• Copies of achievements in our ‘Best Effort’ display;
• Mrs Darley’s Star of the Week sausage sandwich;
• Showcase Assemblies (Summer Term);
• School Newsletters.

School Counselling

• Parklands recognise some pupils require additional psychotherapeutic support. We provide in-school counselling for pupils who would benefit from in-depth counselling support.
• Counselling is provided by a qualified child and young person counsellor, funded by school, in partnership with local business and with additional grants from external organisations.
• Our school counsellor Philippa Westmacott-Youlden (MBACP) provides counselling in the Parklands Counselling and Wellbeing Hub, a specially designed confidential, safe, child focused counselling space in the heart of school.
• The school also offers counselling student placements for those studying child counselling on a BACP accredited course. This enables us to provide much needed additional support to our pupils.
• Counselling at Parkland’s supports pupils with a range of presenting issues including grief and loss, friendship struggles, family breakdown, emotional regulation difficulties and trauma and those who have or are experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). There is no minimum or maximum
  number of sessions a pupil can access.
• Pupils can be referred by staff or parents/carers.