The Trust’s approach to
health and well-being

The Trust is deeply committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of both pupils and staff. This includes promoting and encouraging resilient mental health. The Trust uses the World Health Organisation’s definition of mental health to shape its work:

“Mental health is a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”

World Health Organisation2014

The Trust and its schools aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for the whole school community (children, staff, parents and carers) and recognise how important mental health and emotional wellbeing is to life in just the same way as physical health.

Our approach to health and wellbeing

We recognise that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing and can affect their learning and achievement. All children go through ups and downs during their school life time and some face significant life events. This is of particular importance as we deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Trust’s collective aim is to help develop the protective factors which build resilience to problems with mental health and to be a Trust where:

  • all children and staff are valued.
  • children and staff have a sense of belonging and feel safe.
  • children feel able to talk openly with trusted adults about their problems without feeling any stigma.
  • positive mental health is promoted and valued.
  • bullying is not tolerated.

We understand that mental health is not just the absence of mental health problems. We want a culture where and staff are supported to:

  • feel confident in themselves.
  • be able to express a range of emotions appropriately.
  • make and maintain positive relationships with others.
  • cope with the stresses of everyday life.
  • manage times of heightened stress and be able to deal with change.
  • learn and achieve.

How do we aim to achieve this consistently across the Trust and its schools

To support health and well-being we have worked together to develop:

  • a Staff Wellbeing Strategy and support forum.
  • the full engagement of all schools in the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Awards Programme. Schools are currently working towards different levels of the Programme.
  • Children’s Safeguarding Boards in all schools.
  • a fully refreshed Relationships and Health Policy which includes weekly Jigsaw sessions, Social, Emotional and Mental Health assemblies.
  • capturing the views of children, staff and parents through regular feedback sessions and surveys.
  • bespoke social, emotional and behavioural interventions for children with identified needs.
  • working in close partnership with parents where there are particular concerns.
  • working with external agencies to provide additional support where and when needed.

Signposting to support for parents and carers

For parents/carers, there are a wide range of resources and support available on the following website:  https://the-waitingroom.org/

Education Staff Wellbeing Charter

The Trust is fully signed up to the Department for Education’s (DFE) Education Staff Well-being Charter.

We use the charter to:

  • show staff that we take their wellbeing seriously.
  • develop an ongoing and meaningful conversation with staff about their wellbeing and mental health.
  • improve and develop our Staff Wellbeing Strategy.
  • maintain a wellbeing-focused, people-centred culture.

Click here to download the Education staff wellbeing charter

Click here to download the Trust’s sign up commitment: We have signed up