Pupil Wellbeing

The importance of postive mental health and wellbeing for all children in our school is of paramount importance to us as we know it has a crucial impact on learning and achievement but also because we fully understand that positive mental health and wellbeing at a young age can help boost resilience, self-esteem, confidence and allow children to develop and thrive in their lives. 

In school, children are taught about mental health and wellbeing in an age appropriate way through our PSHE curriculum, Art of Brilliance wellbeing curriculum, nurture groups, celebrations of awareness days and weeks like World Mental Health Day and a general day-to-day approach in school which promotes children talking about their feelings and emotions. Here is a little more detail about some of the things we do promote postive pupil wellbeing at Hill View Junior Academy: 

5 Ways to Wellbeing 

Children have learnt all about the 5 Ways to Wellbeing. It is part of an NHS initiative to support people by improving their wellbeing.

Connect - Try to do something different today and make a connection.

Be active - Try to do regular physical activity

Take notice - Take some time to enjoy the environment around you. 

Learn- Try and set goals and learn something new

Give - Try and participate in community life and help others

To find out more then please visit the NHS website or watch the video below: 

Worry Boxes

In school, each class has a worry box, where children can post their worries in a more privately or even an anonymous way. Teachers introduce the worry box at the beginning of each year and promote its use throuhgout the year. Any worries in the box are read and addressed by staff. 

Helping Hands

All children in school know that they can talk to trusted adults in school, the first point of contact will normally be their class teacher for this. However, we also us

e a 'Helping Hand' scheme so children know if they needed to talk to someone then they can go to a member of staff that has a helping handprint on their door. 

Buddy Bench

We have a Buddy Bench in school, so if any child needs a friend to talk to or they just feel a little lonely and want someone to play with they can go and sit on the rainbow buddy bench on the playground and someone will come along and quickly help them.

Anti-Bullying Team and Junior Leadership Team

We have very dedicated Junior Leadership Team, with a pupil wellbeing champion,  and Anti-Bullying Teams in school. They regularly talk about mental health and wellbeing in their meetings and then relay that information back to their classes post meeting. See more information about the Junior Leadership Team and The Anti-Bullying Team on their relevant pages on this website. 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a big word for noticing your thoughts and being aware of how your body feels RIGHT NOW. In school we practice mindfulness in our PSHE sessions or within nurture groups, which helps us clam our minds and prepares us to learn. Mindfulness has been show to help: 

• Increase focus, attention, self-control, classroom participation, compassion
• Improve academic performance, ability to resolve conflict, overall well-being
• Decrease levels of stress, depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior

If you want to practice midnfulness more, then please see some of the video and ideas below:

  Childline

   Whether you want to talk, get advice, or find ways to cope,

   childline are there for you.

  https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/

  Talk about it

  Use the 1-2-1 chats or call for free on 0800 1111 to talk

  about anything, big or small. Or you can send an      email

  too. 

  Find ways to cope

  Use their tools to find new ways to cope with your thoughts

  and feelings.

If you are a parent reading this and would like to find more information about Mental Health and Wellbeing in the School Community, as well as how to support your child and family, then please follow this link. 

We have gained our Bronze Level for the Sunderland Mental Health Charter Mark!

We are committed to improving Mental Health and Wellbeing for everyone at Hill View Junior Academy.

To read more about it, please visit the Together for Children website;

https://www.togetherforchildren.org.uk/mental-health-charter-mark