The emotional wellbeing and mental health of children is an absolute key focus for all staff at Buryfields.  In order for our children to become successful and engaged learners, they need to have self-belief and confidence to take on all new experiences and challenges, and, most crucially perhaps, to be happy.  Positive mental health is promoted explicitly in PSHE lessons throughout the year, but ensuring the children develop what we hope are life-long attitudes, happens every single day, through our interactions with the children, being the best of role models and in the provision of a tailored curriculum that matches their needs.

In school we teach the children that there are a whole range of emotions that they might feel, and that it is absolutely okay to have these emotions – even so-called ‘negative’ emotions such as anger, fear or sadness. We teach them how and why they might feel like this, and how they might try to resolve these feelings in a healthy way.  We also teach them how we might recognise and understand when and why others might be feeling different emotions too.

One of the best ways to address mental health issues for little people is through stories and we have made a list of books we like, that address a variety of emotional issues, as well as providing links to websites you might find useful.  We always encourage parents and carers to come and talk with us if you have any concerns about your child's mental health or wellbeing as soon as possible - your child's happiness is of paramount importance to us.  You will also find a page about the ELSA provision in school, which has proved time and time again to make an enormous difference - socially and emotionally, but also academically.

The Senior Mental Health Lead in school is Lauren English.