Mental Health
The Mental Health of Children and Young People in England survey (2020) found 16% (1 in 6) of children aged 5 to 16 years to have a probable mental health disorder, an increase from 1 in 9 in 2017. With this in mind, good mental health and wellbeing is important for helping children and young people to develop and thrive, therefore at Educate U we put this at the forefront of all we do. Our focus is not only with the students but with the whole school community, including staff and parents / carers and guardians.
Our provision for mental health and wellbeing is under pinned by the trauma informed modality of PROTECT, RELATE, REGULATE and REFLECT.
Protect
We aim to protect the individual from further damage from the impact of toxic stress and high levels of cortisol by increasing cues of safety allowing individuals to stand down from a high alert state.
Relate
We provide emotionally available adults for the students to build up safe, reliable consistent connections and relationships.
Regulate
Stephen Porges says that “our nervous system requires the co-regulation of another safe individual” With a regulated emotionally available adult available, co-regulation can be provided for the students through activities, presence and consistent boundaries and structure.
Reflect
We support our students to change what they feel and believe about themselves by helping them to edit the story they have told themselves about their lives. Changing what can be called a ‘wonky narrative’. Along with PACE, we use other tools such as affect labelling, which is about helping the child put words to their feelings. This has been proven to calm the brains alarm system, the amygdala.
At Educate U we have a Senior Mental Health Lead who oversees the 8 principles to promoting a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. This encompasses the whole community including students, their families, and staff. The core of these principles is the commitment of our leadership and management team surrounded by the other 7 principles which are: -
• Curriculum teaching and learning to promote resilience and support social and emotional learning – plus neuroscience
• Enabling student voice to influence decisions
• Staff development to support their own wellbeing and that of students
• Identifying need and monitoring impact of interventions
• Working with parents, carers and guardians.
• Targeted support and appropriate referral / signposting.
• An ethos and environment that promotes respect and values diversity.
In addition to our Senior Mental health Lead and Therapists, Educate U currently have two Emotional Learning Support Assistants (ELSA) who work closely with the students around the school, as well as opportunities for Reflexology, Yoga and Mindfulness.
Our commitment to having wellbeing and mental health at the forefront has been externally recognised with Educate U having been awarded The Wellbeing Award for Schools (A national standard for positive mental health and emotional wellbeing).
‘Educate U is passionate about emotional wellbeing and mental health (EWMH). Leaders and staff are committed to supporting the wellbeing of pupils, colleagues and parents and this is reflected across the whole provision. A truly impressive school’. - The assessor for the National Children’s Bureau backed award, stated in his final report.
