Mental Health & Wellbeing
We encourage our children to see themselves as belonging to Graham James Primary Academy and having a responsibility towards each other and themselves. We understand that mental health and physical health go hand in hand and support children and families.
On this page you will find a variety of services that offer support locally, nationally and online. As a school, we take mental health and wellbeing very seriously and we hope to support all children to ensure they gain the strategies that they will need to support them through life. We have a designated Wellbeing Lead as well as a SENDCO who organise provisions for positive mental health and wellbeing throughout the school.
Please see our Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy for more information.
The school is a community in which behaviour is based on mutual respect and consideration for others. The class teacher, who knows each child well, is responsible for the care of children in his or her class, building on the values set in the home. Parents should discuss concerns with teachers in the first instance.
We encourage our children to see themselves as belonging to Graham James Primary Academy and having a responsibility towards each other. In order to promote this, we offer all children opportunities to have responsibilities within the classroom; children within Year Six lead our Buddy assemblies, ensuring that the pupil voice of all children is heard for important decisions and through Mental Health Champions who help support the wellbeing of their peers. We also provide opportunities for older children to support younger children with reading and during lunchtime play.
We have a trained team to support with children’s wellbeing including a trained therapist in Talk and Draw Therapy. Talk and Draw Therapy uses arts and craft work and encourages children to share their feelings and find strategies that may support them.
Additionally, as part of our SEND Team we provide pastoral and wellbeing support. This can vary depending on the need of the child but may be weekly 1-2-1 check-ins, small group sessions or whole class wellbeing sessions.
Support
The following websites offer support – click on the image to follow the link.
APPS
An APP supporting daily meditation.
Kooth, from XenZone, is an online counselling and emotional well-being platform for children and young people, accessible through mobile, tablet and desktop and free at the point of use.
Colouring therapy on your devices to reduce anxiety.
Provides support for the under 25’s with discussion boards, group chats, expert advice as well as counselling.