Etwall Primary School is committed to investing in our pupil’s health and well-being and we offer a range of pastoral support and social and emotional interventions. Emotional Literacy is important because developing children as rounded people and active members of the community is at the heart of what schools are about. Children learn better and are happier in school if their emotional needs are met.
The benefits to pupils are:
- feeling supported by having ‘special time’ and being listened to
- develop greater self-awareness
- learning to talk about difficulties
- developing coping strategies
- interacting more successfully with others
- feeling better about themselves
- managing better in school
ELSA
Mrs Carter is a trained ELSA. ELSAs are Emotional Literacy Support Assistants. They are Teaching Assistants who have had special training from Educational Psychologists to support the emotional development of children and young people in school. ELSAs have regular professional supervision from Educational Psychologists to help them in their work. They help pupils learn to understand their emotions and respect the feelings of those around them. They provide the time and space for pupils to think about their personal circumstances and how they manage them. Most ELSA programmes will last for 6 to 12 weeks, helping the pupil to learn some specific new skills or coping strategies. Clear programme aims (SMART targets) are set early on and each session has an objective - something the ELSA wants to help the pupil understand or achieve. Targets are set in consultation with the child and parents are informed about how the programme is going.
Positive Play
Mrs Draper is a trained Positive Play Support Workers. Positive Play is an early intervention programme designed to raise the self-esteem and emotional wellbeing of shy, timid, disaffected and challenging children. The structured sessions are tailored to meet individual needs, assisting in developing, listening and communication skills, addressing anger management issues and helping children and young people to deal with the consequences of their actions. It is designed to equip children and young people with the necessary resilience, social and life skills to manage the issues that confront them enabling them to access the curriculum and achieve their potential.
Positive Play-Support aims and objectives:
- to allow young people a space to express and communicate feelings and difficulties in their lives, through a variety of media in constructive rather than aggressive ways and in a safe non-threatening environment
- to help young people feel good about themselves and raise self-esteem by providing activities that look at their strengths and by valuing what they do and making it special
- to provide a non-authoritarian, supportive, reliable, safe, unconditional relationship within schools and other settings
- to provide some of the early experiences that may have been missed but which are necessary for formal education and social interaction
- to help young people acquire the complex range of life skills needed to achieve their full potential.
The Nest
In September 2019, Etwall Primary School began the Attachment Aware Schools programme. The programme transforms schools in their understanding and practice around attachment and trauma and is led by the Virtual School in Derbyshire. As part of this programme, a safe space has been created to support children, who are finding lunchtimes difficult or are in need of additional nurturing support at lunchtimes. “The Nest” was co-created with the children alongside a Creative Practitioner.
Anti-Stigma Ambassadors
The rationale behind anti-stigma in Derbyshire is that, "We want as many people in Derbyshire/Derby City to feel confident to talk about their own or their families mental health with acceptance and without judgement.”
In September 2019, Etwall Primary School launched Anti-Stigma Ambassadors in school. We wanted to reduce stigma by creating a school community that has more awareness and supports young peoples’ mental health.
The children (supported by Mrs Giles, SENCo) attended a day’s training led by Yvonne Wright who is the Health and Wellbeing Consultant from the Education Improvement Service for Schools and Learning at Derbyshire County Council. Anti-stigma training is a local and national campaign to help people when they experience mental ill health. The school wanted to take part in this campaign to tackle stigma around mental health. We want to change this stigma by challenging stigma and discrimination, by learning how to stay mentally healthy and by understanding more about mental ill health and how to support our friends.
The role of an Anti-Stigma Ambassador may involve one or more of the following:
- Making displays, posters, leaflets, newsletters to share anti-stigma messages
- Running activities in school/community
- Sharing anti-stigma messages with parents and families in the community
- Educate and influence people about the ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ which can help prevent and manage mental health problems