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Mental Health & Well-Being

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

(World Health Organisation)

Prevalence of Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Issues

one in six school-aged children has a mental health problem, which is five children per class of thirty. This is an alarming rise from one in ten in 2004 and one in nine in 2017 (NHS Digital, 2020)
among 5-10 year olds, 10% of boys and 5% of girls had a mental health problem, whilst amongst 11-16 year olds the prevalence increases to 13% for boys and 10% for girls (Hays Education, 2021)
50% of all mental health problems start by the age of 14 (Children’s Society website, 2021)
among those ages 5 to 10 years, 52.5% with a probable mental disorder reported having sleep problems (NHS Digital, 2020)
children and young people are more likely to have poor mental health if they experience some form of adversity, such as living in poverty, parental separation or financial crisis, where there is a problem with the way their family functions or whose parents already have poor mental health (Bright Futures: CAMHS, 2021)
more than 338,000 children were referred to CAMHS in 2017, but less than a third received treatment within the year (Bright Futures: CAMHS, 2021)

Positive mental health is when a person is able to deal with things that life throws at them and learns from the experiences. At Streetsbrook, we aim to promote positive mental health for every member of our staff and all children. We pursue this aim using both universal, whole school approaches and specialised, targeted approaches aimed at vulnerable children.

The skills, knowledge and understanding needed by our children to keep themselves and others physically and mentally healthy and safe are included as part of our developmental PSHE curriculum, Jigsaw. Additional lessons may be planned and taught where necessary, depending upon the needs of the cohort.

In addition to building resilience and inner strength, one of the key aspects of the Jigsaw programme is that of ‘mindfulness’. Each lesson, and some whole-school assemblies, begin with an opportunity to practice mindfulness through ‘Calm Me’ time.

The SMILE Approach

is SMILE is an approach to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and staff, and is based on the NHS 5 Wy Ways to Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Social (S) – connect with the people around you! This could be your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.

Move (M) – be active! You don’t have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling, garden, dance, or play a game of football. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity that you enjoy and one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.

Interest (I) – take notice! Be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you. Some people call this ‘mindfulness’. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

Learn (L) – keep learning! Learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence. Try something new, rediscover an old interest, sign up for a new course, learn to play an instrument, or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge that you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun.

Engage (E) – give to others! Do something nice for a friend, or even a stranger. Even the smallest act can count, whether it is a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering at a local community centre, can improve your mental wellbeing and help you to build social networks.

Physical activity is an important contributor to social wellbeing - especially confidence. Physical activity is often associated with positive social behaviour, such as being kind and attempting to resolve disputes with classmates. This is one of the many reasons we champion participation in physical activity, both in and out of school, through the 30:30 initiative. We also offer an additional physical intervention for children with mental health concerns.