Enrichment and Wellbeing

It is widely recognised that a child’s emotional health and wellbeing influences their cognitive development and learning, as well as their physical and social health and their mental wellbeing in adulthood.

At Lady Bankes Primary School we help protect and promote student emotional health and wellbeing through whole school approaches and targeted interventions and referrals.

Our Sendco has completed the DFE Designated Senior Mental Health Lead training (2022) and Mental Health First Aid Qualification as well as The Place 2 Be School leaders Course. We have a Mental Health Policy and Action Plan which the Senior Leadership Team are committed to implementing.

All our staff have completed Mental Health Training with Place 2 Be - a children’s mental health charity that provides mental health support and training to schools.

Support In School

ELSA

We also have 5 Teaching Assistants who have trained as Emotional Literacy Support Assistants and provide targeted intervention to children who have difficulties understanding, identifying and managing their emotions or have suffered a trauma such as a bereavement, or need nurture support to improve self-esteem and friendships. ELSA sessions help children develop these skills and become more emotionally resilient.

Therapeutic Story Writing

We have a Teaching Assistant trained in Therapeutic Storywriting which is an innovative and creative way for teachers to support children whose emotional difficulties are getting in the way of their academic learning.

By working with the metaphor in stories – written both by the child and the teacher – emotional issues are addressed in a way that does not overwhelm the child.

Drawing and Talking

We have 2 Teaching Assistants trained to deliver Drawing and Talking , a time-limited therapy to be used with anyone (age 5+) who has suffered trauma or has underlying emotional difficulties. It supports those who are not realising their full potential either academically, professionally or socially. The purpose of the method is to draw with a person who with whom they feel comfortable at the same time each week. The trusted person will learn to ask a number of non-intrusive questions about the drawing, and over time a symbolic resolution is found.

Talk About

We deliver Talk About Social Skills intervention across the school which uses a hierarchical method of teaching social skills. Having assessed the child using the Talk About assessment, teachers will choose the appropriate level or book to start work at. This means that you may start by developing a child’s self-awareness and self-esteem before progressing onto body language. You will then move onto conversation skills and then onto friendship skills and assertiveness.

Seasons For Growth

Our Sendco is trained to deliver Seasons for Growth Intervention which  is an innovative, evidence-based change, loss and grief education program that draws on the metaphor of the seasons to understand the experience of grief. It builds the knowledge and skills necessary to strengthen social and emotional wellbeing following significant loss by:

• Exploring the impact of change and loss
• Learning about effective ways to respond and adapt