Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health at The Drive Community Primary School

At The Drive, we recognise that supporting children's mental health and emotional wellbeing is just as important as supporting their academic development. Whilst health and wellbeing are taught through our Kapow PSHE and RSE curriculum, we also acknowledge that children today often need additional support in recognising, understanding and managing their emotions.

We believe that children benefit from having the language and confidence to identify how they are feeling, develop self-regulation strategies and know who they can talk to if they are worried or need support. For this reason, we dedicate a weekly wellbeing session, in addition to our timetabled PSHE lessons, to focus specifically on emotional literacy, resilience and positive mental health.

These sessions help children to:

• Recognise and name a wide range of emotions.
• Understand that all feelings are normal and part of everyday life.
• Develop strategies for self-regulation and managing difficult emotions.
• Build resilience and confidence when facing challenges.
• Understand the importance of talking about worries and seeking support from trusted adults.
• Develop empathy and strengthen positive relationships with others.
• Consider how their actions and choices can affect both themselves and those around them.

As part of this learning, children develop an understanding of how the brain works and how emotions can sometimes take over our thinking. We use child-friendly language to explain the relationship between the prefrontal cortex ("blue cap") and the amygdala ("red cap"), helping children understand what it means to "flip their lid." This common language is used throughout the school to support children in recognising when they are experiencing intense emotions such as anger, frustration, anxiety or fear.

By understanding:

• What it means to "flip their lid",
• Why it happens, and
• How to manage these feelings effectively,

children gain practical tools to regulate their emotions and make positive choices. While experiencing strong emotions is a natural part of life, our aim is to help every child understand that they can learn strategies to manage these feelings, recover from setbacks and maintain positive relationships.

In addition to this, in Key Stage 2, we use the MELVA Programme, an award-winning creative digital media initiative designed to improve children's understanding of mental health and wellbeing through engaging activities and storytelling. The programme promotes learning through participation, helping children develop positive wellbeing habits, self-management skills and a deeper understanding of themselves and others.

Wellbeing Champions

At The Drive, pupil voice plays an important role in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. We have a team of Wellbeing Champions who are committed to helping make our school a happy, supportive and inclusive place to learn.

Our Wellbeing Champions meet regularly with staff to learn about wellbeing strategies and plan activities that can be shared within their classes. They help other children understand ways to regulate their emotions, manage worries, build resilience and develop healthy habits that support both physical and mental wellbeing.

The champions lead and support classroom discussions and activities which encourage children to think about how they can look after themselves and support others. Through their work, they help to promote kindness, empathy, friendship and positive relationships across the school.

To ensure they are easily identifiable, our Wellbeing Champions wear special lanyards around school. This helps children know who they can approach if they need a friendly face, some support or help finding an adult. The champions act as positive role models and help foster a culture where children feel comfortable talking about their feelings and seeking support when needed.

By empowering pupils to take an active role in promoting wellbeing, we help create a school community where everyone feels valued, supported and equipped with strategies to stay happy, healthy and emotionally resilient

Through this proactive approach to emotional wellbeing, we strive to ensure that all children at The Drive feel safe, supported and equipped with the skills they need to thrive both in school and beyond.

Support for parents and carers

Kalmer Counselling (kalmer-counselling.co.uk)

Holly is our designated Kalmer counsellor in school. 

Helping your child when they experience Anxiety. (kalmer-counselling.co.uk)

Kalmer and Dose Happy Newsletters

• School Newsletters

• https://www.dosemagazine.co.uk.
  All of our resources are free on this website, so take what you need, share because you care and together let's move towards a happier tomorrow.

R;ipple

• R;pple
  R;pple is a browser tool which aims to minimise the risks of the internet, while harnessing its potential for good. R;pple is an interceptive tool designed to present a visual prompt when a person searches for harmful keywords or phrase relating to the topic of self-harm or suicide. These phrases include any words or terminology which had been identified as displaying potentially damaging online content. The tool discretely intercepts harmful searches and provides signposting to 24/7, free mental health support.

Hub of Hope

• Hub of Hope
  Hub of hope is a mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place.

 

Useful Websites:

Give us a shout

Kooth

Young Minds

Childline

Advice for Families - Families, parenting, Mental Health Advice and Healthy Relationships 

• Advice for families Families, parenting and healthy relationships
  Managing family life can be tough - limited time to rest, balancing work and childcare commitments, supporting your child's schoolwork, keeping in touch with others and staying safe. There is a wide range of free advice and support available on-line to help you manage a calm, stable family life as social restrictions ease. If you need essential support to meet basic needs, such as help with food or bills, you can request help on their community support pages.

• Community Support Page

• The Education Hub
  Mental health resources for children, students, parents, carers and school/college staff

The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field.

A charming tale of bravery and embracing change.

Powerful Inspirational true story...Never give up!

When you don't give up, you cannot fail!

Kid Clothes Bank Gateshead

Why Do We Lose Control of Our Emotions?

Simple, easy-to-understand whiteboard animation to help children gain an understanding of the way their brains work to recognise and manage their emotions.