Mental Wellbeing

At Totley All Saints we want all of our children to be happy & healthy and this includes mentally!

What is Wellbeing?

Wellbeing, as referenced in the widely accepted World Health Organisation definition of mental health, is defined as a state of mind in which:

every individual realises his or her own potential,
can cope with the normal stresses of life,
can work productively and fruitfully,
and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

As a school we are very aware of the increase in mental health issues in children across the UK & want to be at the forefront of ensuring that if our children do have difficulties, then they are well supported in order to be able to not only cope, but also be fully well in mind, body & spirit.

At Totley All Saints CE Primary School, mental health and emotional wellbeing are at the very heart of everything we do for every member of our school community. We believe that a mentally healthy community is not about being happy all the time, but about working together through challenges and sharing celebrations; feeling supported, heard, accepted, valued, and empowered.

Our staff are mentally and physically empowered to facilitate learning, aspiration, and discovery, enabling pupils to build confidence, resilience, and flourish in all aspects of their development. We are committed to a whole-school approach that provides excellent support, understanding, and timely intervention for all individuals, ensuring that mental health and wellbeing are embedded throughout our curriculum and school life.

We actively involve parents and carers as partners in supporting their children's social, emotional, and mental health, maintaining open and sensitive communication to overcome barriers to attendance and engagement. Our school ethos nurtures mutual respect, compassion, and selflessness, reflecting our Christian values and underpinning all our efforts to build a strong, resilient, and inclusive community.

At Totley All Saints, we are dedicated to ensuring that every pupil’s mental health and wellbeing journey is supported with care, expertise, and a shared commitment to “Every day excellence for EVERY child.”

If you have concerns about your child’s mental health, then please let us know.

We work closely with FACES the Sheffield support team and have workshops throughout the year to inform and support parents in supporting their children.  These include child anxiety, self regulation and many more. 

Who is the Mental Health lead at Totley All Saints?

To lead and coordinate this vital work, we have appointed Sue Macpherson as our Senior Mental Health Lead. Sue works closely alongside our dedicated teachers, the Headteacher, and the Attendance Lead to ensure that every pupil receives the support they need from the very start of their journey at Totley All Saints. This collaborative team approach ensures that pupils' mental health needs are identified early, and appropriate pastoral care and interventions are put in place to support their emotional wellbeing and educational progress.

Sue Macpherson, in her role, oversees the strategic development and implementation of our whole-school mental health framework, liaising with families, external agencies, and staff to foster a calm, safe, and supportive environment where pupils are keen and ready to learn. Together with the wider school leadership, she ensures that mental health promotion is a continuous priority, aligned with statutory guidance and best practice.

Adult mental health and well being first aider: Sue Macpherson

Child mental health and well being first aider: Melissa Drake

For details of adult mental health support available in Sheffield, please click on the link below.

https://www.sheffieldmentalhealth.co.uk/support/sheffield-adult-mental-health-service/

Please click this link for parent information about Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) - https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/your-guide-to-support/guide-to-camhs/

If you want to know how you can support your child’s mental health yourself, then please feel free to contact the school and find out what support is available.

Leaflet for Parents - Talking to their child about their mental health Top Tips for Parents - How to nurture your child's emotional wellbeing

Anxiety is probably one of the most common manifestations of poor mental health among children in the UK. Anxiety is often identified as an intense uneasiness, worry or fear.

It is important to remember that it is completely normal for children to feel anxious about something because it is different, new or not a part of their usual experience. Sometimes, children can have the feeling of anxiety & don’t even know exactly why that is. This can then result in children blaming something as the reason, when it isn’t that at all.

In fact, a little bit of anxiety can actually be helpful. For example, feeling anxious before a race or test can make us feel more alert & improve our performance.

Persistent feelings of anxiety however, can be distracting and exhausting for a child & could be signs of something a little more serious.

Please let us know if your child has feelings of anxiety as we may be able to help & stop things from becoming more serious or upsetting for your child.

You may also want to access the Worry – Pupil Information Leaflet that could be a starting point to discussing how your child is feeling.

Dr Claire Ogielda, Clinical psychologist from the CAMHs Healthy Minds Team, led a parent briefing to give advice on how to support your anxious child. The following resources may be useful:

Parent/Carer Anxiety Workshop

Worry Intro

Worry - Pupil Info Leaflet

Supporting the Emotional Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People

This event has affected us all and the Educational Psychology service have suggested some resources to help children talk about their feelings & experiences.

Covid-19 Tips for Families

My Lockdown Experience

My Lockdown Journal

About My Feelings

Covid-19 Survival Guide

Complex Needs

Issues with sleep can also be a source of mental ill health for children & can be a surprisingly common factor when it comes to difficulties with overall well being.

Sleep is particularly important for children, because during sleep:

  • Growth hormones are released
  • The immune system strengthens, helping a child’s body to fight off illness
  • The brain makes sense of the day’s events
  • Memory and concentration functions are increased
  • Our bodies rest
  • Emotional well being is restored.

If you feel that sleep may be an issue for your child, then please download the Parent Sleep Information guide below as well as visit the following websites.

Sleep Information for Parents

www.thechildrenssleepcharity.org.uk

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/mast

https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Childrenssleep

As a school, we understand that the move to any new class as well as secondary school can cause a lot of anxiety for children. As a result, we hold our TASS Passport Day where all children ‘travel’ up to their new classes in order to spend the day with their new teacher & do lots of lovely ‘getting to know you’ activities. We find that this takes the worry out of change & actually serves to get children excited about their new learning environment & adults that they will be working with.

For our very youngest children, we also offer three Parent & Child Workshops in the July before they start, in order that parents & carers, as well as their children, can come in & experience what it is like school so that it can be talked about over the summer weeks leading up to starting. This, & the New to FS2 Parents’ Evening, held in June after being offered a place, also help to settle the anxieties of parents too!

For our oldest children coming to the end of primary school,  we understand a this change can be the most challenging of all & again try to take the anxiety out of this as much as possible. As a result, we do lots of preparatory work on what that change will mean as well as have visits to, as well as visitors from,  the main feeder schools. We also do a full hand over of information (academic, social, Special Educational Needs information, etc.) in order that secondary school staff know everything necessary to ensure that the move can be a real success for those that we are sending their way. As part of this information, we also talk about friendship groups & who your child gets on best with. Some of our most vulnerable children, may even be offered further opportunities to visit with special days & bonding opportunities.

As parents & carers, you can of course help your child with their anxieties by visiting the open evenings that the secondary puts on.  This will not only help in your final choice of school, but will also serve to get your child excited about all of the amazing things that the secondary school can offer.

To help your child with the transition to secondary school, you may also find the following information & resources helpful:

https://youngminds.org.uk/resources/school-resources/find-your-feet-transitioning-to-secondary-school/

If you need further help with you child’s mental health and wellbeing, then you could:

Call your GP - they will be able to provide help and advice. Your GP can also provide access to appropriate specialist services and local organisations.

NHS Mental Health Services - find local mental health services on the NHS website: http://www.nhs.uk

National Help:

Childline: Free 24-hour counselling service for children and young people up to the age of 19. Call: 0800 1111 or visit: https://www.childline.org.uk

The Samaritans: The Samaritans provide a confidential service for people in despair and who feel suicidal. Call: 116 123 or visit: www.samaritans.org.uk

NSPCC: They provide helplines and information on child abuse, child protection and safeguarding children. Call: 0808 800 5000 or visit: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Young Minds: They provide a Parent Helpline that offers free confidential telephone and email support to any adult worried about the wellbeing of a child or young person. Call: 0808 802 5544 or visit: http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents

Youth Wellbeing Directory: They help you find support for mental health and wellbeing of young people up to age 25 across the UK. Visit: https://www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/youth-wellbeing/

HaveIGotAProblem.com: This offers a free resource about mental health and addiction issues. It has advice and documents on issues including depression, anxiety, self-harm, bipolar, eating disorders and coping. Visit: http://www.haveigotaproblem.com/

Helplines partnership: This provides a comprehensive list of mental health helplines in the UK. Visit: https://helplines.org/helplines/

Mental Health Foundation: This offers a wide range of information about mental health issues. Visit: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Health Talk Online: This aims to provide balanced information about the experience of everyday life with a range of health conditions and issues, what to expect both physically and mentally, overcoming practical difficulties, making decisions about treatment and talking to health professionals. Visit: http://www.healthtalk.org/

YouthinMind: This is an online resource for information about mental health and offers brief assessments. It also provides links to other useful books, websites and services. Visit: http://youthinmind.info/py/yiminfo/

Mind – Infoline: Offers advice and support to service users; has a network of local associations in England and Wales to which people can turn for help. Call: 0300 123 3393, text number: 86463 or visit: http://www.mind.org.uk

SANE: This provides practical help, emotional support and specialist information for people aged 16 and over with mental health problems as well as their family, friends and carers. Call: 0300 304 7000 or visit: www.sane.org.uk

Supportline: This is a confidential telephone helpline offering emotional support to any individual on any issue. Call: 01708 765200 or visit: www.supportline.org.uk

Beat: This provides helplines, self-help groups and online support to anyone affected by eating disorders. Call: 0808 801 0677 or visit: www.b-eat.co.uk