Wellbeing

What is wellbeing and why is it so important?

The Department for Education (DfE) recognises that “in order to help their pupils succeed, schools have a role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy”. Here at Cheddar Grove Primary School we embrace a whole school approach where all staff value and recognise the need to promote positive mental health and well-being in every child and adult. We place great importance on developing the whole child academically, socially and emotionally. The skills needed throughout life can be taught and learnt at any age; all aspects of a child’s experience in and out of school contribute to their personal and social development and we feel that it is essential that we share this role with parents, carers and families.

All of the staff at Cheddar Grove Primary School play a fundamental role in the well-being of our pupils and their families.

How do we provide wellbeing support at Cheddar Grove Primary School?

Signposting pupils and families to appropriate support, agencies and professionals outside of school.
Individual work and group interventions for pupils around issues such as;
- Behaviour
- Self-esteem
- Anger management
- Bereavement
- Family breakdowns
- Anxiety
- Social communication
Staff training on mental health, safeguarding and protecting vulnerable children.

We have a proactive approach to supporting our children and their families, including:

A team of trained Safeguarding Leads and a Safeguarding Governor
Teaching assistants who support specific, emotionally vulnerable children
Small group interventions for groups to develop social skills, self-esteem and emotional literacy
PSHE Scheme that promotes a ‘mindfulness’ approach to lessons
Whole school assembly themes to promote and support SEMH (Social Emotional Mental Health)
Personal and social education lessons and circle time sessions in all year groups
A comprehensive range of health and sporting activities across the curriculum and in after-school clubs.

Mental Health

Healthy inside and out

Understanding how to look after our bodies and minds is crucial for our wellbeing. In the UK, 1 in 9 children aged 5-15 experience mental health difficulties. These can include depression, anxiety and conduct disorder, and are often a direct response to what is happening in their lives.

In this section, you will find a links to resources to support positive mental health, as well as information about common mental health difficulties and links to sources of advice and support

How to support your child’s mental health

Anxiety

Signs to look out for in your child are:

Finding it hard to concentrate
Not sleeping, or waking in the night with bad dreams
Not eating properly
Quickly getting angry or irritable, and being out of control during outbursts
Constantly worrying or having negative thoughts
Feeling tense and fidgety, or using the toilet often
Always crying
Being clingy
Complaining of tummy aches and feeling unwell.

For more information please see the advice from the NHS on anxiety in children and the expert parents’ guide to childhood anxiety by Rachael Sprague.

Depression

Sadness, or a low mood that doesn’t go away
Being irritable or grumpy all the time
Not being interested in things they used to enjoy
Feeling tired and exhausted a lot of the time

Your child may also:

Have trouble sleeping or sleep more than usual
Not be able to concentrate
Interact less with friends and family
Be indecisive
Not have much confidence
Eat less than usual or overeat
Have big changes in weight
Seem unable to relax or be more lethargic than usual
Talk about feeling guilty or worthless
Feel empty or unable to feel emotions (numb)
Have thoughts about suicide or self-harming
Actually self-harm, for example, cutting their skin or taking on overdose

For more information please see the coping with your low mood poster (Pdf)

Getting a good night sleep

Getting enough sleep is vitally important. Many effects of a lack of sleep, such as feeling grumpy and not working at your best, are well known, but research also shows that regular poor sleep can put you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.

It’s now clear that a solid night’s sleep is essential for a long and healthy life.

Below are the NHS sleep recommendations for primary age children:

4 years: 11 hours 30 minutes
5 years: 11 hours
6 years: 10 hours 45 minutes
7 years: 10 hours 30 minutes
8 years: 10 hours 15 minutes
9 years: 10 hours
10 years: 9 hours 45 minutes
11 years: 9 hours 30 minutes

Sleep advice for children

Eating a healthy and well-balanced diet

By giving your child a healthy balanced diet, you are ensuring that they are getting all the essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that children need for healthy growth and development. Certain nutrients are required for a variety of reasons. Some nutrients worth noting are:

This is just a small list of important nutrients and their uses in the body. You can see that children will need foods that give them all these nutrients for their growth and development.

Calcium and Vitamin D: Essential for the normal growth and development of bones in children
Iron: supports normal cognitive development in children
Vitamin D: Helps support the immune system
Omega-3 DHA supports normal brain function

For more information please see the Change4Life website.