Mental Health and Wellbeing

Why is having good mental health important?

At Oakwood Primary School, we understand that a child’s emotional health and wellbeing influences their cognitive development and learning, as well as their physical and social health and their wellbeing in adulthood.

The Department for Education acknowledges that in order to help pupils succeed, schools have an important role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy.

Being mentally healthy during childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems. Mentally healthy children have a positive quality of life and can function well at home, in school, and in their communities.

What is Wellbeing?

An overall sense of wellness will be achieved with a balance in these key elements:

• Physical. This includes lifestyle choices that affect the functioning of our bodies. What we eat and how active we are will affect our physical wellbeing.
• Emotional or psychological. This is our ability to cope with everyday life and reflects how we think and feel about ourselves.
• Social.  This is the extent that we feel a sense of belonging and social inclusion. The way we communicate with others, our relationships, values, beliefs, lifestyles and traditions are all important factors of social wellbeing.
• Spiritual. This is the ability to experience and integrate meaning and purpose in life. Achieved through being connected to our inner self, to nature or even a greater power.
• Intellectual. It is important to gain and maintain intellectual wellness as it helps us to expand our knowledge and skills in order to live an enjoyable and successful life.
• Economic. Economic wellness, in short, is our ability to meet our basic needs and feel a sense of security.

It is about our thoughts, feelings, emotions and ability to react to life. Even when we are met with a challenge, good wellbeing gives us the ability to cope. Sometimes our wellbeing is affected by daily pressures and sudden changes in our lives, such as: an illness, family situations and changes to our normal day to day routines like schooling that we all experienced through the Pandemic

What do we do to support children's mental health and wellbeing at Oakwood?

Everyday wellbeing

Supporting wellbeing isn’t only about reacting to those who are already struggling, it’s about being proactive in building good mental and physical health for all children through our day to day practice and through our broad and balanced curriculum.

Oakwood recognises the vital role in providing a safe and supportive environment for building life skills such as resilience, decision-making, problem solving, self-awareness and empathy. When children develop these coping skills it can also boost their self-esteem, confidence and ability to settle themselves, feel calm and engage positively in their education, optimising their readiness to learn.

Considering health and wellbeing as part of everyday school life, rather than just a discrete subject, helps the children deal with the daily ups and downs of life.

Click below to find out some of the holistic ways we support wellbeing and what else we offer in terms of universal, targeted and specialist provision.

Useful Websites