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Wellbeing & Mental Health

Over the course of their education, children spend over 7,800 hours at school. With such a huge amount of time spent in the classroom, schools provide an ideal environment for promoting good emotional wellbeing and identifying early behaviour changes and signs of mental distress. The social and emotional skills, knowledge and behaviours that young people learn in the classroom can help them to build resilience and set the pattern for how they will manage their mental health throughout their lives.

Emotional wellbeing is a clear indicator of academic achievement, success and satisfaction in later life. Evidence shows that mental health and wellbeing programmes in schools, can lead to significant improvements in children’s mental health, and social and emotional skills. Wellbeing provision in schools can also lead to reductions in classroom misbehaviour and bullying.

At StonyDean School we prioritise supporting our young people to build emotional resilience and help them to cope with and bounce back from adversity using a “A Whole School Apporach”

By a “whole school approach”, we mean involving every individual in the school community: pupils, parents and all staff and volunteers, from our Head teacher through to the caretaker and kitchen staff. Crucially, it’s also about strategy and leadership; the systems and structures within the school. Everyone has the chance to understand and implement practical things which will contribute to changes in practice and benefit all the students in the school.

Additionally, this includes the school’s relationship to the local community and wider mental health system, and their confidence and ability to commission relevant services. It can include strengthening relationships with local providers and commissioners to improve pathways into services for children and young people.

A sharp focus on promoting wellbeing, building resilience and good mental health will improve outcomes for our children and young people. The benefits for individuals, families, business and the economy are clear – increased employability, capability and productivity, reduced absence, reduced demand on services and improved family relationships and happiness.

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