Mental Health and Wellbeing

Here at St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School we pride ourselves on our nurturing environment where children love to learn. The wellbeing of all of our children is a big part of this as it affects how we relate, interact, learn and grow. Ultimately, the day-to-day ethos and approach we have at our school has an impact on the well-being of all of us, therefore we strive to promote well-being through our strategic goals. One of our goals is to promote a positive self-image in our pupils so that they understand how wonderful they are and can also empathise with others

The five ways to well-being are:

Connect – connect with people around you.

Be active – find an activity that you enjoy and make it a part of your life.

Keep Learning – learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence.

Give to others – give to those in need or even giving a smile, a thank you or a kind word.

Be mindful – be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

Wellbeing Activities

We recognise that from time to time some children need extra support with their Wellbeing. Our Teaching Assistants run Nurture groups for children on a regular basis.  They are trained in Decider Skills and Lego Therapy as well as other activities aimed at building self esteem and allowing children time to talk.

We also have weekly emotional support sessions in school called "Time to Be Me" run by the Howgill Family Centre a local registered charity who work in a number of schools. The Emotional Wellbeing Practitioners come into school and work with small groups or on a one-to-one basis. Referrals for the Time to Be Me Project can be made by teachers, parents and other professionals and all work is done in consultation with parents.

Additionally, children accessing the Time to be Me sessions have the opportunity to take part in holiday activities organised by Howgill Family Centre. In the summer, some of our children attended the Time to be Me Forest School run in conjunction with West Cumbria Rivers Trust.

Mrs Anna Jones, Lay Reader at St James' Church runs a "Little Ducklings" group in school. She visits fortnightly and works with a small group of children. Wellbeing activities are planned and currently our Little Ducklings are improving the courtyard area of the school.

Here are some resources to help with wellbeing

Further information on Children's Mental Health is detailed on our dedicated page in the children's section of our website. Below is a link to that page.