Mental Health and Wellbeing
Self – Regulation and Behaviour as Communication
At St Teresa’s Primary School, we strive to be a place of nurture for the children; our school behaviour policy is built upon the relationships we have with the children and families, which will allow them to be successful. A whole school approach is considered the best way to support our children, everybody’s wellbeing is important and needs to be nurtured. “Christ is our Light”, and he guides us to work within a spirit of love, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Children and young people can be faced with difficulties at school or home which, as well as affecting their emotional wellbeing and social skills, create barriers to learning. To unlock pupils’ potential, we provide them with the support they need to feel safe at school, to be able to get on with other children, and develop the confidence and resilience they need to succeed both academically and in life.
Check-In
Every day starts with a check-in, children are given time to express their feelings and emotions using the zones of emotional regulation, a system that supports a child to name an emotion from within coloured zones. This enables staff to identify and support those children to support children in using strategies throughout the day to self-regulate. In doing this, children develop vital skills, develop confidence and self-respect, to take pride in behaving well and in achieving.
The Nurturing Approach applied across the school follows 6 key principles:
Children’s Learning is Understood Developmentally
We differentiate the curriculum according to the needs of our children. We consider attainment levels but also recognise the children’s developmental progress. The response to the child is underpinned by a non-judgemental and accepting attitude.
The Classroom offers a Safe Base
The organisation of the environment and classroom management help to reduce anxiety. The classroom time is organised around predictable routines, supported visually where appropriate. Great attention is paid to detail; the adults are reliable and consistent in their approach to the children.
The importance of Nurture for the development of Wellbeing
Nurture involves listening and responding. Everything is verbalised with an emphasis on the adults engaging with the children in reciprocal shared activities. Children respond to being valued and thought of as individuals, in practice this involves noticing and praising small achievements.
Language is a vital means of Communication
Language is more than a skill to be learnt, it is the way of putting feelings into words. Children often ‘act out’ their feelings as they lack the vocabulary to ‘name’ how they feel. We encourage informal opportunities for talking and sharing. Words are used instead of actions to express feelings and opportunities are created for extended conversations or encouraging imaginative play to understand the feelings of others.
All Behaviour is Communication
This principle underlies the adult response to the children’s challenging or difficult behaviour. “Given what I know about this child, what are they trying to tell me?” Understanding what a child is communicating through behaviour helps us respond in a firm but non-punitive way. If the child feels their behaviour is understood it can help to diffuse difficult situations.
The importance of Transition in a child’s life
We ensure that transitions are managed appropriately eg. between home and school, between sessions, different adults etc. Changes in routine can be difficult for children and need to be carefully managed with preparation and support. We have additional support for children who find transitions particularly difficult.
Of course, sometimes things go wrong, and we use the philosophy of Restorative Justice to repair harm caused to relationships and communities by conflict. At the heart of any restorative conversation are our school values.