Well-Being

Our children come to us as unique seedlings; our dedicated staff nurture and protect each of them, giving everyone the best chance to spread their branches and stand tall.

At Rushmore Primary School, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff. We know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play.

How We Promote a Mentally Healthy Environment

At Rushmore, we promote a mentally healthy environment through:

Promoting our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging
Promoting pupil voice and opportunities to participate in decision-making
Providing opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others
Providing opportunities to reflect
Access to appropriate support that meets their needs
Helping children to understand their emotions and feelings better and to feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
Helping children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks
On the playgrounds we have worry boxes for pupils to share their worries with a safe adult.
We have nominated school council members in each class to represent their peers and gain feedback from their class.
Extra transition sessions and meet the teacher sessions for when a pupil is finding a class move difficult.
Allocated buddy for all new pupils.
Key Stage 2 children as play-leaders (peer mediators) to support younger children in positive play.
Staff trainer in mental health & well-being in order to support pupils with their needs.
A positive behaviour systems in place to promote positive social behaviour.
Mental health and wellbeing assemblies to promote resilience and self-management.
A PSHE curriculum (Jigsaw) that helps pupils to build important life skills, such as resilience and nurturing mental and physical health, habits of mind and the growth mind-set.
Our ethos is to promote supporting the development of skills and character traits such as respect, resilience and teamwork.
We include World Mental Health Day and Mental Health Awareness Week in the school calendar and plan activities for the whole school.
Continuous professional development for all staff to ensure they have the relevant knowledge needed to support the mental health and well-being of all children
Reflective practice sessions for all teaching staff, to provide them with a time and space to learn from their own professional experience and develop professional/personal developmental insight
We have a Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy for our school which is regularly updated.

Celebrating Success

We like to celebrate our many successes together by:

Displaying pupil’s work
Achievement award assembly each week
Lunchtime awards -pupils nominated by lunch time staff
Class assemblies
School newsletters
House points

Positive Experiences

Rushmore offers pupils many opportunities to do physical activities as well as opportunities to relax which both are ways to promote wellbeing and positive mental health.

Library open each lunchtime to borrow books to read
Active learning
Home learning projects
Themed days
Residential visits
Educational day visits
Before and after school clubs
Extra-curricular clubs such as yoga

World mental Health Day 2023

The children at Rushmore took part in #HelloYellow on Tuesday 10th October. Some children donned an entire yellow outfit others sported a splash of yellow, to show support for young people and let them know, they are not alone with their mental health.

Children's Mental Health Week 2024

Between the 5th to 9th February, pupils took part in number of activities to promote Children’s Mental Health Week. This year’s theme was ‘Having Your Voice Heard’

Our Team

All our staff are trained to identify when children are showing signs of struggling either socially or emotionally and we have systems in place to ensure children get the right support at the right time.

Designated Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead

Eileen McEwan is the school's well being lead, responsible for promoting wellbeing for our staff and pupils

The learning Mentor Team

Sinead Francis- Hendrickson

Alix Maravel

We have a strong learning mentor team, one of whom has been trained as a mental health first aider, to whom staff refer children. The learning mentors will assess a child's needs and put in place a pastoral support plan and liaise with the SENDCo, teachers and parents/carers to ensure timely, child centred support is provided.

Learning mentors coordinate interventions for pupil’s mental health and wellbeing such as:

- Mentoring
- Self-esteem individual and group activities
- There's a Volcano in my Tummy anger therapy
- Bereavement support
- Lego therapy
- Social skills groups
- Resilience building group (SPARK)
- Wellbeing groups
- Friendship groups
- Zones of regulation
- playground engagement support
- Reflection groups

Parents are kept well informed about how their children are doing if they have been targeted for pastoral support and home school cooperation is valued.

Our learning mentors take a very active role in managing the playground, training staff in supporting and engaging in positive play.

Levels of Support

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.

What do I do if I am worried about my child's mental health or wellbeing?

You can:

Go to your GP as a first port of call as they are a useful place to gain medical support and signposting of local services.
Talk to your child’s class teacher or teaching assistant about your child's needs or your concerns.
Talk to the school’s SENDCO/Designated Mental Health and Wellbeing lead (Ms McEwan).
Speak to one of the learning mentors (Sinead Francis-Hendrickson or Alix Maravel)
The Education Psychology Service has a helpline for parents available daily 0208 820 7519
Young Minds - The Parents Helpline is available to offer advice to anyone worried about a child or young person under 25.

You may have questions about a child’s behaviour, emotional well-being, or mental health condition. You may have a child who's already been admitted to CAMHS and have questions about their treatment or want to know what to say to your GP when you visit them. Call 020 8356 7404 (9am to 5pm weekdays) or visit the website www.younghackney.org

Off Centre - Off Centre provides therapeutic services to children and young people experiencing difficulties such: as bereavement, substance misuse, abuse, unstable accommodation. 020 8986 4016 https://cityandhackneycamhs.org.uk/services/off-centre/

For information and resources re: understanding and improving mental health and well-being, contact MIND. Tel: 0300 123 3393 https://www.mind.org.uk/

WAMHs Services at Rushmore

WHAMS (Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools)

Rushmore Primary School is part of an exciting, Hackney-wide initiative that aims to significantly improve outcomes for children and young people through:

supporting wellbeing and positive mental health across organisations
building up capacity and resources
supporting partnership working across services
building on the positive relationships between children and young people, education staff and wider community

MHST (Mental Health Support Team)
A team made up of EMHPS (Educational Mental Health Practitioners), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Practitioners, Senior clinicians and Educational Psychologists. Their role includes:
- Early intervention and prevention
- Providing support for mild to moderate anxiety, low mood and behaviour that challenges
- Providing pupil well-being groups, workshop and support resources

Click here for more information about our Educational Mental Health Practitioner

Click here for more information about our Counselling Psychologist

Click here for WAMHs cover letter

Click here for WAMHs leaflet

Advice for Parents and Carers

https://www.annafreud.org/media/11396/tmh-parent-leaflet-final-web-updated-by-ed-april-2020.pdf

This leaflet which was created alongside the Talking Mental Health Animation & Toolkit, it features an introduction from their Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales who supported the You're never too young to talk mental health campaign stating the campaign's resources "demonstrate how we can help children express their feelings, respond appropriately, and prevent small problems from snowballing into bigger ones."

Useful links

Some useful resources that you could use at home to support your child’s mental health are below:

Feelings tracker: Tracking My Feelings.pdf

Anxiety thermometer: Anxiety Thermometer.pdf

Mindfulness calendar: Mindfulness Calendar Daily 5 Minute Activities.pdf

Dealing with anxiety - https://tutorful.co.uk/guides/the-expert-guide-to-help-your-child-with-anxiety

Young minds parents’ survival guide - https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-survival-guide/

Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families - https://www.annafreud.org/parents/

https://www.familylives.org.uk/how-we-can-help/confidential-helpline/

Parent’s Guide to Childhood Anxiety - Knowing the symptoms, how to talk to and support your child with anxiety: https://tutorful.co.uk/guides/the-expert-guide-to-help-your-child-with-anxiety

https://www.healthforkids.co.uk/grownups/healthy-minds

Useful Booklets/Publications:

Public Health England How Healthy Behaviour Supports Children's Wellbeing

Mental Health Parent Leaflet Anna Freud Centre

Wellbeing Booklist

The Anxious Child Booklet for Parents

Worry Doll Instructions

10 key areas to happier living poster

Relaxation tips for bedtime

Bedtime routine for Parents

Mindfulness Booklet A brief guide

Bereavement Resources

Young Minds

Young Minds Publications offers information on a variety of mental health issues from school problems to mental illness in families. https://youngminds.org.uk/shop/publications/

Young Minds Parents Guide To Support A-Z gives you advice on how to help your child with specific mental health conditions, and life events which might be negatively affecting their wellbeing. They also show you where you can get help:

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/