Mental Health and Wellbeing

If you need support we are here to help, please scroll down to find links to helpful resources, call us or come in for a chat with a member of the team. 

We aim to promote positive mental health and well-being for our whole school community; pupils, staff, parents and carers, and recognise how important mental health and emotional well-being is to our lives in just the same way as physical health.

A child who feels safe and happy, who has resilience and enjoys coming to school will learn. If a child doesn't, they wont learn to the best of their ability. If we prioritise mental and physical health, academic learning will fly.

One way we support our pupil's well-being is through our Emotional Literacy support programme.


What is Emotional Literacy? 

 

 

A recent study in Educational Psychology in Practice exploring the impact of the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme found that it has a perceived positive impact on multiple components of pupil wellbeing. These components include positive emotions, negative feelings, engagements, resilience, optimism, accomplishment, and relationships. 

 

 

Emotional literacy work in schools is supported by educational psychologists who apply psychological knowledge of children’s social and emotional development to areas of need. Emotional literacy is about developing a respectful relationship in which the young person is enabled to think about their situation without feeling judged or criticised. It is intended to be short-term purposeful support that helps to develop new skills or coping strategies, thus enabling the pupil to experience greater success. 


Our Emotional Support Literacy Assistant (ELSA) has been expertly trained to plan and deliver programmes to support the emotional needs of pupils. Most of the support is delivered on an individual basis but sometimes small group work is more effective, especially when developing social skills. The sessions are fun and use a range of activities. 

  

Children are usually referred for emotional support by their class teacher. The referral is then assessed and if the child requires a weekly programme (lasting 6-8 weeks) then this begins to be planned and put into place for them. With the programme aims in mind, the ELSA will provide supportive sessions to facilitate the pupil in developing new skills and strategies they need. 

  

The ELSA supports areas of emotional literacy such as: 

·         Self-esteem 

·         Resilience 

·         Recognising emotions 

·         Managing feelings 

·         Social skills 

·         Anxiety 

·         Loss and bereavement 

  

  

The aims of our Emotional Support 


Remember, we are not there to fix children’s problems. What we can do is provide emotional support in a respectful and safe environment. An ELSA achieves this by providing a reflective space for the pupil, where they can openly share their thoughts and feelings. They will provide methods and strategies for your child in the area that has been identified during the planning process of the programme. 

 

 

Some quotes from our children about the sessions: 

"It helps me with my sleep and makes me express my feelings" 

"They are very helpful, calm and happy" 

"They are fun and helpful" 

"I can talk to someone about my worries" 

"I love the activities" 

 

Below are some links that you might find useful, please click on the images to view the websites.

Christmas Sensory Survival Kit  - May be useful to help families better manage the sensory challenges of the season. 


Survival Christmas Kit - final2.pdf

Derbyshire Parent Carer Voice is a registered charity which is run by parent/carer volunteers with children/young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.  

They organise parent participation, providing the opportunity to talk about all the services they receive in Derbyshire and have a number of events for parents and carers throughout February and March. More details are available on the Derbyshire Local Offer and Derbyshire Parent Carer Voice websites.

When you're living with a mental health problem, or supporting someone who is, having access to the right information is vital. 

When you're experiencing a mental health problem, supportive and reliable information can change your life. That's Mind we do. They empower people to understand their mental health and the choices available to them

This emotional health and wellbeing signposting website for Derby and Derbyshire contains local and national links and resources updated regularly. Please use the search bar with key words or click and scroll down the sections, access the site here. 


The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. 

Active South Derbyshire is made up of individuals, clubs, community groups and organisations that take part in or have an interest in physical activity, sport and recreation in the District.

It exists to develop a strong voice for South Derbyshire, to help secure better facilities, funding and opportunities to improve standards in physical activity, sport and recreation.

Active Derbyshire Newsletter.pdf

Winstons Wish provide specialist child bereavement support services across the UK. Winston’s Wish provides emotional and practical bereavement support to children, young people and those who care for them.  

If you, or someone you know, has problems with alcohol or drugs and are finding that this is causing you problems - Derbyshire Recovery Support


Childline is there to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through.

CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. They support children and young people aged 0-18 (and their families) with a wide range of mental health difficulties in Derby and south Derbyshire. 

Samaritans works to make sure there's always someone there for anyone who needs someone 

MindEd is a free learning resource about the mental health of children, young people and older adults.

Free Courses For Parents, Children and Young People

The Solihull Approach is a team of professionals within the National Health Service in the UK. We work with practitioners and parents to develop new resources to support emotional health and well-being in children, families, adults and older adults. They are a ‘not for profit’ organisation. 


The following courses are available free of charge:

 Click here to access the courses.