We are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils. We have a supportive and caring ethos and our approach is respectful and kind, where each individual and contribution is valued. At our school, we know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and, at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play.

At our school we:

· help children to understand their emotions and feelings better

· help children feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries

· help children socially to form and maintain relationships

· promote self-esteem and ensure children know that they are valued

· encourage children to be confident and to express their views and ideas

· help children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks

We promote a mentally healthy environment through:

· Promoting our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging

· Promoting pupil voice and opportunities to participate in decision-making

· Celebrating academic and non-academic achievements

· Providing opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others

· Providing opportunities to reflect

· Access to appropriate support that meets their needs

We pursue our aims through:

· Universal, whole school approaches (STARS Wellbeing and Mindfulness)

· Support for pupils going through recent difficulties including bereavement

· Specialised, targeted approaches aimed at pupils with more complex or long term difficulties including attachment disorder