Policy Statement:

 At Arzana, we are dedicated to fostering the positive mental health and well-being of our entire school community, including children, staff, parents, and caregivers.

Our ethos revolves around support, care, respect, and kindness, valuing each person’s uniqueness and contributions.

We aim to equip children with the tools to navigate changes and stress, ensuring they receive support to achieve their potential and access help when required.

Additionally, we recognize our responsibility to educate children on maintaining positive mental health, understanding its influences, combating stigma, and knowing where to seek help when needed.

Acknowledging life’s challenges, we understand that anyone might need extra emotional support at certain times. We firmly believe that promoting positive mental health is a collective effort and that everyone has a role to play in this endeavor.

Teaching about mental health:

At Arzana, we adopt a comprehensive approach across the entire school to foster positive mental health, aiming to enhance children’s resilience, happiness, and success while proactively addressing potential issues. We achieve this by:

• Establishing and implementing consistent ethos, policies, and behaviors that prioritize mental health and well-being.
• Employing a positive, restorative approach to managing behavior.
• Facilitating social skills development to help children build and maintain relationships.
• Creating an environment where children feel comfortable sharing their concerns or worries.
• Teaching emotional skills and cultivating awareness of mental health to enhance understanding of emotions and feelings.
• Encouraging self-esteem and emphasizing children’s significance in the world.
• Equipping children to be resilient learners and manage setbacks effectively.
• Identifying children facing mental health challenges and devising support plans to address their needs, collaborating with specialist services, parents, and caregivers.
• Supporting and training staff to enhance their skills and resilience.
• Cultivating an open culture where discussions about mental health are normalized and encouraged.

We promote a mentally healthy environment through:

• Establishing a school-wide well-being committee.
• Advocating our school values and fostering a strong sense of belonging.
• Encouraging student voice and involvement in decision-making.
• Celebrating both academic and non-academic accomplishments.
• Creating chances for students to develop a sense of responsibility for themselves and their peers.
• Offering opportunities for self-reflection.
• Providing access to suitable support resources.
• Organizing whole-school events to celebrate well-being.
• Nurturing leadership qualities and confidence through various opportunities.

 

We pursue our aims through:

• Universal, whole school approaches
• Creating a sense of identity through a whole school House System

Staff roles and responsibilities, including those with specific responsibility:

Whilst all staff have a responsibility to promote the mental health of students, staff with a specific, relevant remit include:

Key people supporting Mental Health at ARZANA:

• ……………….. – Head of Pastoral Care and Well-being
• ……….. – Student Welfare Officer
• ……….
• ………… – SEN Teacher

Our Mental Health Leads:

• Lead will work with all staff to co-ordinate whole school activities to promote positive mental health and

Teaching about Mental Health:

We integrate the necessary skills, knowledge, and understanding required by our students to maintain mental well-being and safety into our well-being calendar of events.

Signposting:

We’ll ensure that our staff, students, and parents are informed about the available support within our school and know how to access additional assistance when needed.

Early Identification and Warning Signs:

Staff members are expected to remain attentive and observant, looking out for various indicators that might signal a student’s poor mental health. These signs could encompass:

• Attendance and punctuality patterns
• Relationship changes and interactions with peers and teachers
• Approach to learning and engagement in academic activities
• Physical cues that indicate stress or discomfort
• Negative behavior patterns or sudden changes in behavior
• Family circumstances and recent bereavements
• Health-related indicators that could affect mental well-being

Additionally, school staff should be mindful of warning signs that might indicate a student is experiencing mental health or emotional well-being challenges. These signs should be treated seriously, and any staff member noticing these signs should communicate their concerns with the designated child protection officer or the emotional well-being lead:

Possible warning signs include:

• Alterations in eating or sleeping habits
• Social withdrawal or isolation
• Changes in activity levels or mood swings
• Verbal expressions related to self-harm or suicidal thoughts
• Verbalizations of feeling worthless, hopeless, or experiencing failure
• Repeated physical complaints without apparent cause
• Increased tardiness or absenteeism from school

Assessment, interventions and support:

All concerns regarding a child’s well-being are reported to designated school staff. An assessment of needs follows a triage approach involving Senior Leadership Team (SLT), class teachers, and the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCO). This ensures prompt support either within the school or by engaging external specialist services.

Collaboration with Parents and Careers:

Parents or careers with mental health concerns about their child can approach the child’s class teacher, who will escalate the matter to the Mental Health Lead for assessment. To assist parents and careers, we will:

• Provide online resources about mental health issues and local well-being services.
• Share strategies on how parents and careers can foster positive mental health in their children.
• Keep parents informed about mental health-related topics and events.

When a concern is raised, the School Well-being Officer (SWO) will contact parents and…

• Contact parents to communicate the assessment outcomes, barring situations where child protection issues prevent their involvement.
• Discuss any pertinent referrals made to external agencies.
• Direct parents to additional resources or information they can take away.
• Compile a chronology detailing actions and events.
• Establish a mental health care and protection plan when necessary, outlining clear next steps.
• Discuss strategies with parents on how they can support their child, including guidance or referrals to parenting support groups when applicable.

Training:

All staff will undergo consistent training on identifying and addressing mental health concerns as a component of their standard child protection training to ensure the safety of students. The social worker offers training tailored for staff seeking more information on specific issues.

For staff needing deeper knowledge, opportunities for further training will be considered within our performance management process. Additional Continuing Professional Development (CPD) will be encouraged and supported throughout the year, especially in response to evolving situations involving one or more students.

References to other policies will be provided.

This policy is interconnected with our Child Protection Policy, Staff Well-being Policy, and Behavior Policy. Monitoring and Evaluation:

The policy will be reviewed every year.

Principal Approval: