Here at Batheaston Church School we have a long history of supporting the emotional needs of the pupils within our care. This includes supporting them both within and beyond the classroom, as we recognise that it is only when children feel emotionally settled and secure that they are able to fully access their learning.
Our approach to promoting children’s mental health and wellbeing is embedded throughout school life and is supported through our PSHE curriculum, using the Jigsaw scheme. Jigsaw provides a structured and progressive programme which helps children to develop emotional literacy, resilience, and an understanding of themselves and others.
It is always encouraging to see the positive emotional development of our pupils. By supporting their wellbeing, we enable them to engage more confidently with the curriculum alongside their peers and make strong progress in their learning. We are continually striving to ensure that all children in our school feel supported, valued and able to thrive.
At Batheaston Church School we are committed to supporting the mental health and emotional wellbeing of our children and staff. We know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and that at times we could all need additional support. We believe good mental health is everyone’s concern and all of us have a role to play in supporting this.
Lead Staff Members:
Alison Smith– Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead/PSHE Lead
Jon Stevenson– SENDCO
Sarah Morrison– RE and Collective Worship Lead
Nikki Macbeth – Safeguarding Lead
Kate Meynall – Pupil Premium Lead
Jenny Enstone– Physical Education Lead
As a school we get involved in special events and awareness weeks which all help to raise the profile and support our children to look after their mental and physical health. These include; Health and Wellness Week, World Mental Health Awareness Day, Safer Internet Week, Race 4 Life, Anti Bullying Week, Road Safety Week, Earth Week, Daily Mile Events, Sports Relief events, Comic Relief events and NSPCC events amongst many others.
The Mental Health Support Team in Schools (MHST)
The Mental Health Support Team is a new NHS commissioned service working in our school. The aim of the service is to offer free early therapeutic interventions to help children and young people with mild to moderate common mental health difficulties such as anxiety, low mood and emotional dysregulation.
What MHST Can Offer
MHST provides support through:
- One to one sessions with an Education Mental Health Practitioner.
- Group work.
- Parent-led work.
- Whole school approaches to supporting mental health.
MHST Support Criteria
The support offered by the MHST is low‑intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (LI‑CBT). This is a brief, structured, and goal‑focused intervention designed to support specific presentations. MHST cannot support young people where:
- There are lots of contextual concerns causing the emotional wellbeing difficulties.
- The difficulties are suspected to be related to neurodiversity rather than mental health.
- The difficulties exceed the remit of a low intensity intervention and require a more specialist service.
How can I get support?
A young person or parent/carer may request support within school. A School staff member may identify a young person in need of support. These requests/ observations can then be discussed with the Designated Mental Health Lead in School (DMHL) who can make a referral into MHST.
Click on the below link for further information:
Padlet for Wellbeing courses for parents, families and carers – July, August and September
Inclusion and Mental Health and Well Being Padlet link for Parents