Mental Health Matters

Mental Health Matters

Mental health of our pupils is something very important to us at Farnborough Primary School. We believe that all children need the skills to recognise and deal with their emotions, and it is vital to support and help those with difficulties get the support they need.

We begin by creating an environment in which our pupils feel safe and respected, we encourage all our pupils to share how they are feelings both with staff and their peers and ensure they feel comfortable doing this. We want our children to feel they are surrounded by a trustworthy and supportive community, and we do this through the respectful, positive and inclusive language we use with the children. We celebrate children’s achievements and make sure they feel appreciated.

We believe that teaching and raising the profile of mental health with our young people is a crucial part of their education. Children who have are aware of their mental health and emotions will see the benefits in all aspects of their lives; they will feel able to deal with difficulties they may face, express and manage their emotions as well as form and maintain strong relationships with others.

Mental heath is taught and discussed through our PSHE lessons, assemblies and by actively participating in Children’s Mental Health week every year, introducing children the themes of the year and encouraging them to share and open up about what this means to them.

Our children’s emotions are continuously monitored through our school wide use of the Zones of Regulation.  This is a research-based programme designed to foster self-regulation and emotional control in children. This proactive, skills-based approach, teaches our pupils:

• To identify their feelings and levels of alertness 
• To understand their feelings in context
• Effective regulation tools
• To problem solve positive solutions
• To understand how their behaviours influence other’s thoughts and feelings

The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions.  A person may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone. 

The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone.  A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.  

The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone.  This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.  

The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.  

We also recognise that sometimes our pupils might need support beyond our school community and have connections with external services for targeted support with a particular area of concern.

	Bromley Y promotes the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children, young people and families by enabling change, fostering resilience and helping them build healthy relationships. They offer free support and counselling for children, young people and their families.	https://bromley-y.org/
	The Maypole project has over 20 years’ experience in supporting the whole families when young people are diagnosed with complex medical needs, special educational needs or a disability.	https://www.themaypoleproject.co.uk/
	Bromley Children Project is a borough wide service that supports families living in Bromley to create a safe, secure and happy environment for all children and families by offering quality targeted parenting courses, one to one family support and impartial information and advice for parents and carers.	https://www.bromley.gov.uk/ bromleychildrenproject
	Living On is a charity who supports children and young people who suffer a bereavement to discover ways and strategies to deal with their grief, adapt to the changes it may have brought to their lives and manage their difficult feelings.	http://livingon.org.uk/

Useful links:

• https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/supporting-others/childrens-mental-health/
• https://www.annafreud.org/
• https://ayph.org.uk/
• https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
• https://www.childline.org.uk/
• https://www.place2be.org.uk/
• https://www.youngminds.org.uk/