Mental Health & Wellbeing
At Batchwood School, we believe in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing as a whole school approach.
We are committed to providing a safe and understanding environment to support and promote success and achievements. Our pupils are taught how to manage their academic, emotional, and social lives in a positive way. This gives students the knowledge and capability to take care of themselves and seek support when challenging situations arise. We collectively strive to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health by incorporating a whole school ethos that encourages students to seek support from our staff.
The Zones of Regulation
The Zones of Regulation is the framework our Nurture one group and Year 7s follow as they transition to secondary school. It teaches our students skills in consciously regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased control and problem-solving abilities. Using a cognitive behavioural approach, the curriculum's activities are designed to help students recognise when they are in different states called zones, with each of the four zones represented by a different colour. Students are taught how to use strategies or tools, to stay in a zone or move from one to another, as well as calming techniques, cognitive strategies, and sensory support.
Parent Guide To The Zones of Regulation
The 5 Social Emotional Learning Core Competencies
We provide regular learning opportunities for pupils to develop their social and emotional learning within their form groups across KS3 & KS4. As a school, we value these 5 areas as being an integral element as part of a holistic education provision.
Mental Health & Wellbeing Ambassadors
Promoting a Whole school approach to Mental Health & Wellbeing
In 2015, the Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Coalition worked with Public Health England to produce the first ever document for education settings on implementing a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
Please see link for more detail:
Gov-uk Guidance on the 8 principles of a whole school approach to promoting mental health and wellbeing.
A whole-school approach to mental health focuses on creating a supportive and inclusive environment where every student feels valued and safe. It includes mental health education, staff training, and accessible support services, alongside initiatives that promote wellbeing, resilience, and positive relationships. By embedding mental health into all aspects of school life, students are better able to cope with challenges, reduce stigma, and thrive both academically and personally.
Batchwood School has adopted this meaningful and fundamental approach; the eight principles of a whole school approach are:
- Leadership and management: Effective leadership and management that champions efforts to promote mental health and wellbeing to ensure whole school and college approaches are embedded.
- Curriculum, teaching and learning: The curriculum can be used to promote resilience and support social and emotional learning. This can be through a dedicated RSHE curriculum, and the wider curriculum through lessons such as PE and art.
- Student voice: Enabling student voice to influence decisions is crucial in ensuring children and young people feel part of the school and college community.
- Staff development: A strong focus on staff development is vital in settings demonstrating their commitment to staff health and wellbeing.
- Identifying need and monitoring impact: Identifying need and monitoring impact enables education settings to understand pupils’ mental health and wellbeing needs and respond effectively to these.
- Working with parents and carers: The family plays a key role in influencing children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing so education settings should seek to communicate with them as much as possible.
- Targeted support: Schools and colleges have a role to play in providing targeted support and specialist provision for those with particular mental health and wellbeing needs.
- Ethos and environment: Pupils and staff spend a lot of time in the school and college environment, so it is crucial that the environment is nurturing and respectful. Relationships between staff and pupils are also critical.
We know that education settings can play a vital role in promoting mental health and wellbeing and that good mental health is important for helping children and young people develop and thrive. Taking whole school approaches have been found to lead to improved emotional health and wellbeing in children and young people.
Links & Resources
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Kooth - www.kooth.com
– Free, safe, and anonymous online support and counselling for young people.
ThinkNinja - Available for Android and Apple IOS on the app store
– ThinkNinja is a mental health app designed for 10- to 18-year-olds. Using a variety of content and tools, it allows young people to learn about mental health and emotional wellbeing and develop skills they can use to build resilience and stay well..
Anna Freud / On My Mind - www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind
– On My Mind aims to empower young people to make informed choices about their mental health and wellbeing. Includes a youth wellbeing directory of local support services.
Young minds - youngminds.org.uk
– Advice, help and support for young people suffering from mental ill health and their parents. Includes Young Minds Crisis Messenger for those in mental health crisis and a parent’s helpline. Young people aged 10-17 and parents can discuss anxieties (including health, and school) by calling Herts Mind Network’s Young People’s Helpline on 01923 256391.
Royal College of Psychiatrists - www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people
– Information for young people, parents, and carers about young people’s mental health. Their aim is to provide information which enables people to make informed decisions about their health. Covers a wide range of areas of mental health difficulties.
Childline - www.childline.org.uk
– Information, advice, and support on a variety of topics from bullying, abuse and feelings to relationships, friendships, and sex - 0800 1111
Hertfordshire Wellbeing Service and Single point of contact for child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) - www.hpftcamhs.nhs.uk
– Hertfordshire wellbeing service offer free, confidential talking therapy and practical support for people aged 16 and over and registered with a Hertfordshire GP service 0300 777 0707
Bereavement
Hope Again - www.hopeagain.org.uk
– A website offering support, advice and information for young people who have been bereaved.
Sudden Bereavement - sudden.org
– A website and helpline offering support for those who have been bereaved suddenly, or when someone has died too soon in their life.
The National Bereavement Partnership - www.nationalbereavementpartnership.org
– The National Bereavement Partnership provides a support helpline, counselling referral and befriending service for all those suffering from anxiety, grief, or mental health issues as a direct or indirect result of the COVID-19 pandemic - 0800 448 0800 (7am -10pm, seven days a week)
Self-Harming and Suicide
Shout - Text SHOUT to 85258
– Free, confidential 24/7 mental health text support.
Alumina - www.selfharm.co.uk
– Alumina is a free, online 7-week course for young people aged 11-19 struggling with self-harm.
NHS Mental Health support at any time of the day or night - Freephone: 0800 6444 101
– We are available 24/7 for Hertfordshire residents who are experiencing a mental health crisis and need some mental health support.
Live chat at: www.hpft.nhs.uk/contact-us, 7am-7pm Monday- Friday. In the case of serious illness or injury, dial 999 for emergency services.
Harmless - harmless.org.uk/
– Harmless provides support and information to people who self-harm, their friends, family and professionals.
Samaritans - 08457 909090
YoungMinds Crisis Messenger - giveusashout.org
– YoungMinds Crisis Messenger provides free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK for young people experiencing a mental health crisis. Text YM to 85258 for urgent help.
Papyrus - www.papyrus-uk.org
– PAPYRUS provide confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through their website and helpline, HOPELINEUK: 0800 068 4141 10am-10pm weekdays, 2-10pm weekends
Local Food Banks
St Albans & District Foodbank - stalbansdistrict.foodbank.org.uk
– Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), telephone: 01727 613019
Watford Foodbank - www.watfordfoodbank.co.uk
– Open Monday – Saturday, 10am – 1pm. Call 01923 804 435 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information.
Eating disorders
Beat - www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
– Beat offer support, advice, and information on eating disorders.
Drugs and Alcohol
Frank - www.talktofrank.com
– Honest information about drugs.
Alcohol Education Trust - alcoholeducationtrust.org/parent-area
– Parental advice for teaching young people about alcohol and the law. Includes topics such as parties, festivals, and holidays away with friends.
Domestic & Sexual Abuse
Rape Crisis - rapecrisis.org.uk
– Rape Crisis Centres provide frontline specialist, independent and confidential services for women and girls of all ages who’ve experienced any form of sexual violence, at any time in their lives. This includes counselling and support.
NHS Help After Rape and Sexual Assault - www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/help-after-rape-and-sexual-assault
– Advice on options and support available after an assault or rape.
Herts Sunflower - www.hertssunflower.org
– Free and confidential support, advice, and information for anyone affected by domestic abuse - 08088 088 088
Herts Sarc - /www.hertssarc.org
– Free support and practical help to anyone in Hertfordshire who has experienced sexual violence and/or sexual abuse.
LGBTQ
Switchboard - www.switchboard.org.uk
– A charity for LGBTQ people looking for community, support, or information - 0300 300 0630
Stonewall - Stonewall.org.uk
– National LGBTQ+ rights charity
Parental Alcohol Misuse & Guidance
You are not on your own is a booklet aimed at 10–14-year-olds affected by a parent or carer who drinks too much. It is designed to help children and young people have frank discussions with professionals or trusted adults about a parent’s drinking and is intended to address ways to keep them safe from harm.
You are not on your own booklet
Sleep
The National Sleep Helpline - teensleephub.org.uk
– Who do I talk to if I can’t sleep? The National Sleep Helpline can help with your sleep problems - 7pm and 9pm, Sunday to Thursday on 03303 530 541.