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    • Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing

    Positive mental health and wellbeing is important for our learners now and the adults they will become.

    It is widely recognised that a child’s mental health and wellbeing impacts on:

    • Experience of childhood: personal contentment and social interaction
    • Pattern of development: brain development and physical development
    • Effective learning of knowledge and skills
    • Mental wellbeing in adulthood

    We promote wellbeing through our approaches to teaching and learning in all aspects of school life. We also teach specific lessons focusing on skills and knowledge, such as The Decider Skills and mindfulness.

    Miss Jo Horsepool is our Inclusion Lead and ALNCo (Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator) and manages an inclusion team who work flexibly to meet the needs of all learners. Mrs Kym Lovell is our Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead teacher in the school; she promotes positive mental health and wellbeing for both pupils and staff. The school has three ELSAs (Emotional Learning Support Assistants), Mrs Smith, Mrs Evans and Mrs Kidd, who work across EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

    At St Martin’s Primary, some of the ways in which we promote positive mental health and wellbeing include:

    • 1-1 or small group sessions with an ELSA. This could involve work on self-esteem, self-awareness, emotional regulation, anger or anxiety management, friendship and social skills, change and loss
    • 1-1 or small group sessions for neurodiverse learners to support them to better understand a diagnosis and identify their individual strengths and differences
    • 1-1 or small group sessions with a MeLSA trained member of staff to support children to address any barriers to learning and develop a more positive attitude and increased resilience towards their learning
    • Skippy, our reading therapy dog
    • Hand massage
    • Movement breaks
    • Sensory breaks
    • Personalised provision for children experiencing mental health and wellbeing difficulties
    • Small lunchtime social groups for vulnerable learners to strengthen social relationships
    • Additional pastoral support and check-ins for our most vulnerable learners and learners experiencing a significant change or stress in their lives
    • Assigning playground buddies to children who would benefit from support in the playground
    • Maintaining inclusion registers to ensure that all children have opportunities to participate in aspects of wider school life including clubs and taking on roles of responsibility
    • Supporting families to break down any barriers to children participating in clubs and activities outside of school
    • Close working relationships with other services, including CAMHS, School Nursing Service, Early Help Team, Schools Attendance Service
    • The Incredible ‘St Martins’ Years (ISMY) programme for parent/carers

    Please click on these useful links below:

    Action for Children "Parent Talk"

    Place 2 Be

    In Our Place "The Solihull Approach" – free online training for parents and carers around children's mental health and wellbeing

    Young Minds