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. (youngminds.org.uk/media/1428/wise-up-prioritising-wellbeing-in-schools)

Here at Wellesbourne our priority is to ensure that children leave with the best possible outcomes, having good emotional, physical and mental health helps to secure this. We drive lots of initiatives that support our pupils throughout their every day lives. Take a look at what we have on offer to ensure that our children stay as healthy as can be.

ASC Award Year 5

Every year our Y5 children take part in the Wellesbourne Challenge Award. The award is tailor made to for our school, children have to complete 6 weeks of skills type activity, 6 weeks of service activity: giving something to the community in which they live e.g. giving up break times to help younger children or doing up the school garden and also an adventure type activity. They also have to learn new skills such as cookery and First Aid. A long adventure type walk concludes the activity. Our children really enjoy giving back to the community, the award helps us to think about others and focus upon ourselves and what type of person we want to be. (For more information on the award please see Mrs Ryan)

For the second year, children in Year 5 are taking part in the Wellesbourne Challenge Award.

Our Year 6 staff have commented on how well bonded the year group are as a cohort and how well motivated and considerate they are. The Award, which they participated in in Year 5, has helped build confidence, social awareness and resilience. It has helped individuals to build strategies which encourage success and to be thoughtful and caring to others.

 

 

Lunch Time Park Club

From time to time the school yard just isn’t the right place for everybody, three times per we have a park club that go out on the mini-bus with Miss willshire and Mrs Ellis. Children who are part of this club eat their lunch at the park and take part in some gentle running, they take in the fresh air, the lovely sights and sounds of the park and return to school ready to face the challenges of the afternoon.

Lunch Time Yoga Club

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtimes we offer Y3-Y6 a 30 minute yoga session. This session takes place in the hub, our quiet room, with Mrs Ryan. Here children get to practice deep breathing, stretching and positive mind exercises.

‘The Walk’

As part of our mentoring process we offer some children a place on what has become known as ‘The Walk’ or ‘The Tuesday Walk’. Here identified children can get away from it all and relax in a totally stress free environment, the walks run for a 6 week block. These walks have been very successful in helping children to achieve personal and social goals.

As part of our expanding programme of wellbeing we’ve extend ‘The Walk’ to include children from Year 1 – Year 3. This walk takes place on a Monday. It has been successful in building confidence, resilience and friendship groups.

 

World Mental Health Day 2018

On World Mental Health Day we celebrated by looking how we can keep all of our body healthy, this we know from assemblies, is one of the ways to achieve a healthy mind. We had lots of activities during the school day, Bully Busters came in and told us how to stay safe and keep each other safe whilst maintaining good mental health. Dementia friends came to speak to us about how dementia effects lots of people around the world. Miss Jones taught KS1 zumba, Miss Parr did some healthy food making with us and Mr Helme taught us how to use mindfulness and meditation throughout the day. We had visits from NHS Liverpool who alarmed us at the amount of sugar in soft drinks, cereals and yogurts – we will certainly think about our packed lunches more carefully from now on. We had some great sports lessons off Brian our school coach, he taught us how to play fun games that made us feel good but also keep us very fit and healthy. Yellow House (child’s mental health charity) came in and played some very energetic games with us, we all got involved and we learned that everyone has some insecurities but they can be dealt with in a great way. Mrs Crossland came in and showed our KS1 children how to cross the road safely. Later on in the evening we carried on our theme of ‘Wellbeing’ and had our parents in the hall, we had a yoga session led by Mrs Ryan, zumba session led by Miss Jones, hand massage led by Mrs Hurst and singling from our fantastic choir. Chartwells, our school meal providers, came in and did some healthy show cooking for us.

Take a look at some of the photographs from the day below.

Buddies

Our Buddies are children who volunteer to support other children with their mental health and wellbeing. A friend on the playground goes a long way to making you feel happier about school. Buddies share happiness and play games with our younger children.