Mental Health and Well-Being
‘Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community’
(World Health Organisation 2024)
At Alderman White School we aim to promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing for our whole school community; pupils, staff, parents and carers and governors and recognise how important mental health and emotional wellbeing is to our lives in just the same way as physical health. We strive to create an environment that has a whole school approach, in providing excellent mental health support, awareness, understanding and intervention. We put wellbeing at the heart of our school to ensure successful learning and commit to our policies reflecting this practice. We have a supportive and caring ethos where each individual and contribution is valued, and all individuals can be supported whether affected directly or indirectly by mental ill health.
To further support our vision and strategy, the school are on track to achieve the Mental Healthy Schools Gold Award, which we have been working on for the past 12 months. This award has been devised in partnership with the CAMHS Mental Health Support Team and will embed further our plans to continue to grow our mental health provision.
What supporting Positive Mental Health means to us:
- The child stays at the centre of every conversation.
- We prioritise those who need our help most, but we promote positive mental health with everyone.
- We embed social, emotional, and mental health awareness across the curriculum.
- Children and young people are taught skills to build resilience and manage everyday stressors.
- Staff wellbeing, resilience and mental health is a key focus in our school priorities.
- We have a highly trained Pastoral Team who lead on evidence-based practice for all our interventions.
How we ensure best practice:
- Staff read and understand section one of Keeping Children Safe in Education.
- Staff know our behaviour, mental health and well-being, attendance and safeguarding policies and protocols.
- We have a designated Mental Health Lead in school who is responsible for promoting wellbeing for our staff and pupils (Mrs Hodgkinson)
- All students are taught about mental health and wellbeing as part of the Personal Development Curriculum. This work includes developing healthy coping strategies and an understanding of students’ own emotions as well as those of other people.
- The wider school community has an active voice about mental health and well-being.
- We monitor mental health and well-being interventions and adjust were necessary.
- All staff have training to effectively support student mental health and well-being.
- We have a qualified school counsellor and an emotional support dog called Willow to support students with a range of interventions.
- Our Pastoral Team are qualified Mental Health Champions who raise awareness of mental health and challenge the stigma around it.
- We work closely with CAMHS and MHST to support students and families.
We offer different levels of support:
Universal Support - To meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and our wider curriculum. For instance, developing resilience for all.
Additional Support - For those who may have short-term needs and those who may have been made vulnerable by life experiences such as bereavement.
Targeted Support - For pupils who need more differentiated support and resources or specific targeted interventions such as wellbeing groups or personal mentors.
Should you have any concerns regarding your child’s mental health, please contact the schools Senior Mental Health Lead Mrs Hodgkinson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or your child’s Progress and Achievement Leader.
CAMHS Mental Health support Team (MHST)
The CAMHS Mental Health Support Team is a collaborative service across health and education, and is available in project schools across Nottinghamshire.
They are an early intervention mental health and wellbeing service in schools aimed at providing support for children, young people and families around low-level emotional wellbeing needs, such as anxiety, low mood, managing emotions, and sleep.
For more information click on the link below
CAMHS - Mental Health Support Teams | Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
The CAMHS Mental Health Support Team have created a range resources videos and guides to support parents, carers and young people.
Mental Health Support Teams - Self Harm Awareness (parent session) (youtube.com)
Moving schools - a parent guide (youtube.com)
5 Ways to Wellbeing - a video for children and young people (youtube.com)
Nottinghamshire County CAMHS
CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. These are NHS services, which in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are run by Nottinghamshire Healthcare. CAMHS offer support and treatment for children aged 0 – 18 years who have emotional and/or mental health problems.
For more information click on the link below
CAMHS - information for parents and carers | Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
General Support
We also recognise the importance of regularly signposting students and parents to other agencies as required; please see links below:
BeUNotts - Be U Notts is a free, accessible, and convenient mental health and emotional wellbeing support service for people between 0-25 years of age and their parent and carers.
Be U Support | Free Mental Health Service for Children and Young People
Childline - Childline is a counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday in the United Kingdom provided by the NSPCC. Childline deals with any issues which cause distress or concern.
Kooth - Kooth is an anonymous site which helps children and young people to feel safe and confident in exploring their concerns and seeking professional support.
Nottalone - NottaAlone is a dedicated website providing information and support for young people’s mental health across Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County.
Shout - Shout is a free, confidential, 24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling to cope. To start a conversation, text the word 'SHOUT' to 85258.
YoungMinds - YoungMinds is a national charity which works to promote the mental health of children. Through our confidential Parents Information Service, we offer help over the telephone to parents who are worried about the emotional well-being of a child.
Self-harm support
Calmharm - Calm Harm is intended to help adolescents regulate their emotions and work through overwhelming feelings without harming themselves.
Eating disorder support
Beat - Beat provides Helplines for people of all ages, offering support and information about eating disorders no matter where you are in your journey. These Helplines are free to call from all phones.
The UK's Eating Disorder Charity - Beat
Breavement support
The Children’s Bereavement Centre - The Children’s Bereavement Centre is run by a committed team of friendly, supportive and professional people who are passionate about helping children and young people to cope with the grieving process brought on by the death or terminal illness diagnosis of someone close.
