Teach Primary Issue 18.4

www.teachwire.net | 59 WELLBEING Nurturing Catherine Goodwin explains how to embed a whole-school approach to mental health A t West Lea, a special needs school, developing more positive relationships across our community sits at the heart of our approach to mental health and wellbeing. The power of regular connections with a trusted adult is something that cannot be underestimated, and has been transformational in supporting our pupils. To look at this holistically, we follow the guiding principles of Martin Seligman’s theory of wellbeing, based on his PERMA model (see tinyurl.com/tp-Perma ) , which incorporates five building blocks that help members of our community flourish while at school or work. These are: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment. These elements help ensure we’re focusing on strengths and achievements, equipping learners with a ‘suitcase’ of skills to help them on their exciting journey towards adulthood. It also means we can make sure our mental health and wellbeing approach isn’t simply a reactionary response, but one that celebrates success and promotes human connections to build a hopeful and optimistic future. Starting with our people Many schools are very open about their commitment to putting children first, something which is admirable and understandable. However, we believe the key to delivering the best possible education experience is prioritising the people guiding and supporting our learners on their education journeys. Our people have regular meetings with their line managers as part of our ‘partnering for performance’ process. Part of these performance management meetings focuses on the wellbeing of each member of staff: to what degree they feel they have flourished in their role and whether they need wellbeing support – something they have access to 24/7 via external agency services. Equipping our people with the skills and knowledge to champion good wellbeing throughout the school not only increases their capacity to support learners, but also enhances the school’s culture of care and compassion. Investment in training and personal support helps them lead by example and lays the foundation for an educational environment that nurtures the wellbeing and happiness of each of our learners. It’s important for our people to feel empowered and well-equipped so they can build trust among learners, spot the signs and in turn, support them through any challenges so that they can flourish both at school and beyond. Creating a caring culture Our curriculum places a large focus on good mental health practices, helping young people understand the importance of showing kindness and empathy as well as connecting with others and keeping physically, emotionally and mentally healthy. As part of this, our HE A L TH & WE L L BE I NG S P E C I A L “It’s important that our people feel regulated, supported and motivated before anything else”