Rates of probable mental disorders have increased since 2017; in 6 to 16 year olds from one one in nine (11.6%) to one in six (17.4%), and in 17 to 19 year olds from one in ten (10.1%) to one in six (17.4%). Rates in both age groups remained similar between 2020 and 2021" NHS September 2021, Mental Health of Children and Young People Surveys, Wave 2.
Mental Health may be referred to as Well-Being or emotional health and is just as important as physical health.
Our vision for mental health at Moorlands has been devised by the Moorlands Community; children, staff and families, to ensure an appropriate approach to meet the individual needs of our school. At the heart of our intent, is to ensure every child has the opportunity and support to meet their full potential.
Pastoral Team
We have a dedicated and experienced Pastoral Team, led by Mrs Hannah Woodhouse, one of our Assistant Headteachers, who is Youth Mental Health First Aid Trained, has undertaken training including recent completion of the Senior Mental Health Lead Government Funded Training.
Mrs R Turner-Forest Leader, Learning Mentor, Pastoral Support and Emotional Coach
Miss S Hind-ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant)
Mrs R Freeman-Deputy Head and Youth Mental Health First Aider
Mental Health Support Team (MHST), Educational Mental Health Practitioners
Emma Wood-Mental Health Support Team (MHST). Family and Community Worker
When it comes to Mental Health, we feel it is ‘everyone’s business’ and believe that the child is at the centre of all that we do and with our support they can thrive, become resilient, empathetic, caring young people who can self-care and ask for help.
We believe we can achieve this through focusing on the protective factors through the umbrella of resilience and empathy:
• Feeling of belonging, included and valued
• Providing children, staff and families with a safe and secure environment
• Treating every child as an individual, making all children feel welcome and greeted through personal greeting each day
• A celebration of individuality, uniqueness and diversity
• Supporting in identifying trusted adults and to build strong relationships
• Children, staff and families feel listened to with needs acted upon
• An ethos of ‘if you can be anything, be kind’
• A focus on resilience strategies to ‘bounce back’
• Providing opportunities to be part of the school community and the local community
• Prioritising children that need our help most but intervening with all
• Engaging families with our open-door policy
To achieve this we implement the following:
Safeguarding
• Safeguarding comes above everything we do.
• We have clearly defined roles within the Senior Management Team with named and displayed DSL and Deputy DSL.
• An ‘open-door’ culture, where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. All staff have read and understood section one of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023, that early intervention is key and that context matters.
• Clear policies and procedures are established and can be found here.
• Safeguarding training is provided for all staff and up-dated online with statutory requirements.
• Attendance is robustly monitored to ensure children are primarily safe and we have an Attendance Officer to support families as part of our Salendine Nook Family Hub, where attendance is a concern to ensure we can support in providing education for all children.
Behaviour
• A clear behaviour and relational policy, with a focus on ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’ leading to Behaving the Moorlands Way.
• Behaviour is linked to emotional reactions therefore, we follow a restorative approach, with time for children to de-escalate and be supported in correcting behaviour and being supported to reflect upon actions and next steps.
• We follow the approach of ensuring children will be Praised in Public (PIP), with the sanction system taking place in private.
• Individual behaviour plans where needed including self-regulation techniques.
• Parental engagement to support with behaviour.
• Celebrating and rewarding ‘Role Models' through Moorlands Marvels
- Celebrating Moorlands Values; Resilience, Making Good Choices, Making Positive Contributions, Being Kind and Caring, Showing Respect.
Pastoral Support
• A dedicated Pastoral Team with a Senior Mental Health lead (Mrs H Woodhouse), two link Governors dedicated to monitoring Well-Being (Mr G Laird and Miss J Woodhead) and a Mental Health Support Team. This team includes two Youth Mental First Aiders, an ELSA trained team member and a team member currently in ELSA training.
• We have clear pathways for Universal, targeted and specialist support.
• Interventions are evidence-based where possible, with staff supported with evidence-based strategies, resources and sign-posting.
• Established links with external agencies including a dedicated Mental Health Support Team and partnership of our Salendine Nook Community Hub.
• Staff are kept up-to-date with relevant training or changes.
• Timely intervention which is monitored by the Well-Being Leader and the Pastoral Team.
• We are developing our use of Entry and Exit forms to support impact of interventions and individual needs and goals.
• Opportunities to express needs, wants and emotions and to experience and try coping strategies through our RSHE Curriculum, dedicated and planned for Well-Being Wednesday sessions, School Council Meetings, workshops from our Mental Health Support Team, Forest School, pupil, staff and parent voice and positive behaviour strategies.
• Celebration of resilience, making good choices, positive contributions and acts of kindness through our British Values Tree, with half-termly celebrations and weekly themed assemblies for additional values such as empathy, tolerance and E-Safety.
• Celebration of role models.
• Building relationships and experiences for all within the Community and beyond through Cultural Capital development.
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• Parent Workshops run by our Family and Community Emotional Support Worker.
Our intended outcomes as a result of our Well-Being Pathways:
• Every child feels valued, understand they can achieve no matter their starting point and celebrates and accepts being ‘them’.
• A secure understanding that we all have mental health.
• The knowledge that mental health doesn’t always stay the same, but we can take steps to feel better.
• A developing ability for children to recognise when they are ‘not themselves’ and be able to identify needs and act upon them.
• Children will become equipped with coping strategies to deal with everyday life.
• Children will become resilient, meaning they can deal with challenges and changes.
• Children will be ready to learn, to take on challenges both inside and outside of the classroom.
• Children will be able to support peers.
• Children will be able to make the most of their potential and play a full part in family, school, community life and be able to build and maintain strong relationships and recognise relationships that are not healthy.
• Early support and intervention means a reduction in absence, increase in attainment and progress.
• Children will be resilient in the future and know how to succeed in life, self-care and how to seek help when they need do.
If you or your child needs any support, please speak with your child's class teacher or contact Mrs Woodhouse at: hwoodhouse@moorlandsprimary.org.uk
We are happy to support with nurse referrals, including for behaviour and sleep and mental health support requests. If you would like more information on Thriving Kirklees-our single point of access for these services, or to make the support request yourself, click below:
Useful contacts:
Kooth – Online Counselling - https://www.kooth.com/
Young Minds-https://youngminds.org.uk/contact-us/
Anna Freud - National Centre for Children and Families
Childline - 24hr helpline 0800 1111
Samaritans – 116 123
Papyrus - Text 0778 620 9697 Telephone 0800 068 41 41
Here are some useful links for self-help for your child, yourself or friends and family.