Wellbeing
At Springwood Junior Academy, wellbeing is considered within all areas of the curriculum and is visible within the learning environment. This enables our pupils to feel confident, express their emotions, build good relationships, live productively, cope with changes and develop resilience. We monitor all aspects of well-being and respond to individual and environmental challenges.
Our student council provides a forum for discussion and support for pupil wellbeing and reflection on the SEMH Policy.
Parent wellbeing is supported holistically by our school ethos and inclusion team.
We hold assemblies with a wellbeing focus and support and celebrate events including Children's Mental Health Week.
We ensure all our pupils know that if they need support or help with their emotions they can talk to a member of staff in school or their parents or carers at home.
We provide additional resources and links for both children and parents and carers.
Below is a document that include hyperlinks to organisations that can support with mental health challenges.
10 Ways to Find Support with Children and Young People's Mental Health
You may also find the following websites useful:
Resources & Advice
Play Therapy
The document below published by Pearson has been written with Play Therapist Emma Brummell who shares her advice on how parents and carers can use play to help their children to process their feelings. The advice and associated activities are aimed at parents and carers with children aged 4–11.
Using Play to Support Children
A Worry Jar
Your child may be worrying about a variety of things including health, school, friends, family and more. They might ask you about their worries. A Worry Jar is a place for your child to put their worries so they don’t have to think about them all the time. The document below explains how you can make one.
Sleep
Having a regular sleep pattern and getting a good night’s sleep is really good for our mental health and wellbeing. Here are some tips to get a good night’s sleep:
- Relax before bedtime – try and come off all electronic devices for at least an hour before bed.
- Try and do some exercise. Exercise releases positive endorphins which make us feel good and it will also make us tired ready for a good night’s sleep
- If a worry, thought or something you need to remember pops into your head at bedtime, write it down on a piece of paper and deal with it the next day. There is not much you can do about things at bedtime and these thoughts will only interrupt your sleep. Get them out of your head, and on to the paper then you can get a good night’s sleep and ready to take on the next day.
Loneliness
Loneliness has had a big impact on people, especially over the past couple of years. Our connections with people are an excellent way to help protect our mental health and emotional wellbeing. We can all play a part in helping to reduce loneliness. We can all do our part to combat loneliness:
- If you are feeling lonely it might be a good idea to keep a journal. This can help you understand your feelings better and notice any patterns or triggers.
- Get involved with something you enjoy. Finding people who have similar interests to you can really help. We can help you find clubs or activities to join.
- Check in with your friends and family. Send them a text, give them a ring, see if they want to do something.
- Be kind, listen and be supportive to people around you. If you are worried about someone, ask for help.
WMIM
WMIM is With me in Mind, an NHS service supporting schools and young people in Rotherham with Mental Health. It includes advice for both children and parents and carers on a range of topics including anxiety, low mood, self-esteem and sleep. If you are concerned about your child/young person, then please do get in touch.
Young Minds
The Young Minds website has a section for parents/carers on ways to support young people, as well as a section on exam stress which is important for many of our young people.
Events
Each year we take part in Mental Health Awareness Week. This annual event is an opportunity for our academy and the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health. During this week, we focus on how to maintain positive mental health through a variety of ways such as exercise, diet and mindfulness.