At William Patten we believe that supporting children’s social and emotional well-being is a crucial part of their childhood journey. Learning to understand and manage our feelings early on, gives us vital social and emotional skills for later in life. We are committed to providing an environment where children talk about their own wellbeing and mental health. We teach them to notice their emotions, talk about how they are feeling and develop good emotional intelligence. Pupils learn to effectively communicate their own emotions, build resilience and understand how other people may be feeling.

We support all of our pupils to learn the following:

Knowing Emotions – recognising a feeling as it happens

Managing Emotions – what to do to help themselves if they feel anxious or upset

Handling Relationships – form positive and respectful relationships with others

Empathy – be aware and understanding of other people’s emotions

Self-Motivation – be in charge of their emotions rather than controlled by them

The mental health and wellbeing of the whole school community is supported by the Mental Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) Team, which has been developed alongside the Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools (WAMHs) Project.

 The MHWB Team consists of:

MHWB Lead – Sian Davies (DHT)

Place2Be School Project Manager – Sarah Fowler

CAMHs Worker in School (CWiS) – Lora Linhares-Marx

Mental Health Support Team (MHST) – Temi Olayinka

SENDCO – Caitlin Shaw

Staff, Parent and Pupil Wellbeing Champions – Luke (Y3 Teacher) and Lisa (TA)

Wellbeing Governor – Nandi Simpson

Wellbeing and good mental health is at the heart of everything we do: when we talk to each other, through our curriculum, awareness events and special assemblies. We care for and support each other – making William Patten a very special place.

MHWB Policy:

• MHWB Policy 2022-23

The theme of Children’s Mental Health Week this year is ‘Growing Together’, helping children and our school community to consider how they have grown and how they can help others grow.

Growing Together is about growing emotionally and finding ways to help each other grow. Challenges and setbacks can help us to grow and adapt and trying new things can help us to move beyond our comfort zone into a new realm of possibility and potential. However, emotional growth is often a gradual process that happens over time, and sometimes we might feel a bit ‘stuck’.

We’ll have special assemblies at school, activities in class and a poster competition to help spread the word!

As parents and carers, you play an important role in your child’s mental health. Check out our free resources for families below.

www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk