Mental Health

UP FOR IT ATTITUDE

Adults

As part of our Adventurous Leearning approach to pirmary education, we focus on developing the children's

UP FOR IT ATTITUDE, through our THRIVE APPROACH, PHSE and also STORMBREAKER.

The Thrive Approach

These have been, and continue to be, tough times for us all. As an accredited ‘Thrive Ambassador’ school, we believe the Thrive Approach can and does have a positive impact on our children’s behaviour, equipping them, overtime, with strategies and approaches that they can use to manage challenging emotions and sensations when they occur.

Everything is centred on the loving relationships we share with our children, this interaction and always trying our best to be insanely curious in what they have to say and do, is key. But we also know that the pressures and strains we are all under can sometimes interfere with this. It is our job at Pilgrims’ Cross, as educators, to support your children in this loving way and in doing so help them to focus on and ultimately thrive in their learning.

The Thrive Approach – supporting the community to weather the storm – Facebook Page (public group)

PHSE

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is a school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. It helps children and young people to stay healthy and safe, while preparing them to make the most of life and work. When taught well, PSHE education also helps pupils to achieve their academic potential.

STORMBREAKER

Our school have recently engaged with the Stormbreak programme, which is a scheme designed to promote mental health development through physical activity. Research shows that today’s children move less than ever before whilst mental health issues are on the rise. We have a responsibility to serve our children better amongst the growing crisis in children’s mental health in the UK. We aim to improve children’s mental health through movement, equipping them with sustainable, transferable skills and coping strategies to thrive during the complex demands of growth into adult life.

The Stormbreak scheme is made up of 28 different activities, which each focus on discussing and developing 1 of 5 mental health skills: Resilience, Self-Care, Relationships, Self-Worth and Hope & Optimism. In short 15-20 minute activities, teachers:

Support the children in understanding the mental health skill
The physical activity puts elements of the skill into practise whilst getting the children moving.
The teacher finishes the session by asking the children to think of when and how the mental health skill could be used in real life scenarios.

An added element of the activity packs are the ‘It’s OK’ statements’ which closely link to our THRIVE strategy that is fundamental throughout our school. These statements help reassure the children that negative feelings and emotions are a normal part of everyday life and it is how we cope or deal with these that is the most important thing.

As an example, linking to the mental health skill of ‘Relationships’ we would reinforce statements like ‘It’s OK to comfort others if they are feeling upset’, ‘It’s OK to feel sorry for someone else but not know what to say.’

As teachers, we are learning all the time that the way in which we can have the biggest impact on the children is by modelling the Mental Health Skills ourselves. Reminding them that even adults make mistakes, even adults sometimes have difficult days and explaining the strategies that we might use to shift negative thoughts into positive ones. Stormbreak have a superb interactive website, full of information, advice and even some videos of the activities in action – some of your children may even recognise some! Take a look and challenge yourselves to take part in a Stormbreak with your children!

STORMBREAKER MAIN PAGE

How can parents help children with hope and optimism?

SPIRITUALITY

Children

"Up for It attitude"

is all about helping you feel safe and this means safe physically (so you do not seriously hurt your bodies) and also safe emotionally (so you mind and heart are not seriously hurt.) We do this by carrying our THRIVE activitites for you and your class - these are activities to help you develop your understanding of emotions, Personal, Health and Social ediucation learning sessions, developing your spirituality and also guiding you in STORMBREAKER activities.

THRIVE HOME ACTIVITIES