At Oaklands, we believe that all staff have a responsibility to promote positive mental health and wellbeing both inside and outside the classroom. Staff  look out for early warning signs and ensure that children with mental health needs receive the support and interventions they need.

Supporting and promoting mental health and wellbeing of staff is an essential component of a healthy school. At Oaklands we promote opportunities to maintain a healthy work life balance. Staff are supported pastorally and have access to various support systems.

Key Staff:

Senior Mental Health Lead: Mrs Rebekah Faber

Deputy Headteacher - Pupil Welfare/Safeguarding Lead: Miss Tamsyn Bradley

Pastoral Manager and Deputy Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Emma Bradford

Mental Health First Aiders and ELSA staff: Mrs Gemma Brookes and Miss Jade Palmer

In particular, our Senior Mental Health Lead:

• Leads and works with other staff to coordinate whole school activities to promote positive mental health and wellbeing
• Leads the PSHE (personal, social and health education) and RSHE (relationships, sex and health education) department
• Supports ELSA (emotional literacy support assistant) interventions and teaching
• Provides advice and support to staff and organises training and updates
• Is an initial point of contact for mental health and wellbeing support within school and works closely with other key members of staff

Many behaviours and emotional problems can be supported within the school environment, or with advice from external professionals. Sometimes children need more intensive interventions and support at times. In these instances, our staff team ensure that appropriate referrals are in place to the relevant support services.

Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing in School

Curriculum:

The skills, knowledge and understanding needed by our students to keep themselves and others physically and mentally healthy and safe are included as part of our curriculum at Oaklands. Pupils in all year groups have access to a PSHE lesson, RSHE lesson, ELSA lesson and Life Skills lesson each week.

Specific lessons are always appropriate to each class and aim to support pupils with; understanding and identifying mental health problems, developing coping strategies to support their own self-care, challenging mental health stigma, understanding how to promote positive wellbeing, identifying appropriate support services and developing a range of independent living skills.

Whole School Approach:

As a whole school, we strive to implement a range of strategies and approaches to support wellbeing which include:

• Half termly reward afternoons/days including a range of activities
• School assemblies on relevant topics
• ELSA 1:1 and group interventions
• Wide variety of lunchtime clubs including Lego Therapy, Draw and Talk and Pride club
• A supportive transition programme as pupils move through school, including two transition days for upcoming year 7 pupils
• Clear pastoral system with every pupil having access to their designated form tutor at least 3 times per day
• Organising relevant internal and external workshops to promote positive wellbeing
• Staff wellbeing support including signposting to external sources of support