At The Cathedral School of St.Mary's, we believe that mental health and wellbeing is the basis for a happy and successful life at school and beyond. Wellbeing plays a key role in our school ethos, and shapes our policies and procedures implicitly and explicitly. We strive to improve the wellbeing of our students and staff in everything we do, seeking to build resilience, identify and monitor concerns, and support students and families who face challenges. By creating an environment that is both caring and challenging, encourages risk while permitting failure, and provides opportunities to step out of their comfort zone, we seek to develop resilience in our students. Alongside a varied curriculum, encouraging all our students to take part in activities such as music, drama, art and sports, allows them to gain experience from which we hope they learn, develop and grow as individuals. We also look to develop resilience through:
- PSHE lessons in which we discuss topics such as choices, friendships and relationships.
- whole-school and year group assemblies, in which external experts speak to each year group several times a year on issues such as E Safety and social media.
MONITORING AND SUPPORTING STUDENTS
We encourage pupils to raise any concerns with a member of staff they feel comfortable talking to and staff work together to identify any changes in behaviour and monitor any concerns. Our Mental Health Lead is Mr Driscoll and Mrs Wright is a trained Mental Health First Aider.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is wellbeing and why is it important?
There are several definitions of wellbeing, but most are based on health and happiness. It is important because this is what we truly want for our children. Research has proven that without emotional and physical wellbeing, students will not be able to reach their full potential.
How can we support our child’s wellbeing at home?
Simply by being there for them and spending time talking with them you will be helping them develop the skills they need to overcome challenges in later life. By working together, we can support our children more effectively.
You can access further information on how to support mental health and wellbeing via the school and the links on this page.
Who can we speak to if we’re concerned about our child’s wellbeing at school?
For any concerns about a child's wellbeing, please contact their class teacher.
WHAT CAN I DO IF SOMETHING OR SOMEONE IS UPSETTING ME AT HOME?
If something is happening outside of school that is upsetting you, you can still tell an adult in school. You can tell your class teacher or your trusted adult at school. They will listen to you and try to help you. Sometimes the adults will need to speak to your parents or other people to find the best way to help you. This might be difficult for you, but it is always best to try and solve a problem together. It is always the right thing to do to tell someone when something is upsetting you.
NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE?
If there is something that you need to talk about, but you don't know who to talk to, you can ring Childline. Childline have friendly people on the telephone 24 hours a day (that's all day and all night!) who will talk to you and listen to your worries or problems. They will talk to you and try to help you work out your problems. They will also give you advice and they are always happy to speak to you, no matter how big or small your worries might seem. You can call them on: 0800 1111 or visit their website for more information: www.childline.org.uk