Social, Emotional and Mental Health Provision (SEMH)

At Nethersole C of E Academy we promote an inclusive environment in which each individual is valued and respected. We recognise that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing and can affect their learning and achievement. We want our children to be mentally healthy so that they can flourish, both academically and socially.

For some, school will be a place of respite from difficult home lives and it will offer positive role models and relationships, which are critical in promoting children’s wellbeing and can help engender a sense of belonging and community. Our role in school is to ensure that children are able to manage times of change and stress, and that they are supported to reach their potential or access help when they need it.

Our aim is to help develop the protective factors which build resilience to mental health problems and to be a school where:

• All children are valued
• Children have a sense of belonging and feel safe
• Children feel able to talk openly with trusted adults about their problems without feeling any stigma
• Positive mental health is promoted and valued
• Bullying is not tolerated

As a staff team we are trained in how to spot indicators which could signify that a child may need additional support with SEMH needs. We respond quickly to meet their needs by deploying in house interventions as well as working alongside external professionals such as educational psychologists, behaviour support consultants, specialist support teachers, school nursing team, rise, and signposting families to the Warwickshire Family Information service.

We understand the importance of teaching children SEMH skills and plugging ‘gaps’ in their social and emotional development. We do this through whole school, whole class and target interventions for individuals when needed.

Whole school strategies for promoting positive mental health:

• We build a sense of belonging for our pupils by allocating them to houses and celebrating achievements.
• Our classes are named after famous people to inspire promote a sense of identity
• Staff act as role models for positive relationships by treating children and adults with respect and kindness.

• Our school provides a welcoming ethos to visitors by…friendly and helpful staff, staff information on display in reception area.
• Our school is a calm place and we endeavour to provide a welcoming and comfortable environment for pupils and staff.
• Staff support pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through daily collective worship with themes that are linked to our school values.
• Father Phillip from Polesworth Abbey is an integral member of our school community, he leads collective worship once a week.
• All children get the opportunities to be part of sporting teams and compete for the school – fostering a good sense of team work and building on our community spririt.
• Members of the senior leadership team are on the school gate and the start and the end of the day to build relationships and work together with families and the community

Whole class:

• We develop our pupil’s social and emotional awareness through PSHE lessons following the Jigsaw Curriculum focussing on emotional literacy skills, communication skills, communication skills, resilience and coping strategies
• Our staff adopt a problem solving approach – using when things go wrong as a teaching opportunity to talk about solving conflicts via non violent means
• Teachers greet every pupil every day and build positive rapport with all children, in order for them to feel safe and welcome at school
• Our positive behaviour policy shines the light on the positive, building children’s confidence and self esteem.

Small group and individual interventions:

• Lunchtime club – pupils are referred to lunchtime club when they need more support to develop their social interaction skills, or need a quiet haven during busy lunchtimes
• Learning mentor sessions – pupils access 1:1 counselling / support following times of stress
• Pupils know who to talk to if they are worried about something –  we encourage them to name 5 people they trust and can talk to about their worries.
• Social skills groups – teaching of social interaction skills through playing board games, sharing, turn taking activities
• Allocated special roles or responsibilities in class to raise self esteem
• Interventions such as the 5 point scale – enabling children to identify their emotions on a scale between 1-5.
• Working closely with families to have a connected response to support the child in school.

Mental Health concerns

For Children
We value the support of parents and carers by working in partnership with them to support the children.  Any parents with a concern around their child's mental health should contact their class teacher in the first instance who will be able to discuss ways we can work together to support the child

For Parents

Parents are most welcome to discuss , in confidence, any of there own mental health concerns with either Mrs Bunn or Mrs Byrne who will  try to offer practical advice and signpost to the relevant support.

For Staff

Staff can approach any member of SLT, in confidence, to discuss any of their own mental health concerns.  They will try and offer practical advice and support and signpost to external agencies where appropriate