At St Augustine’s CE Primary School, we are committed to promoting and encouraging the positive mental health and emotional well-being of our children. We believe that the mental well-being of our children is key to developing happy, inquisitive learners who are able to face challenges in a positive and proactive way. Our school ethos and values underpin everything that we do, and we are relentless in the pursuit of a school community where everyone feels able to thrive.
What helps?
Things that can help keep children and young people mentally well include:
- being in good physical health, eating a balanced diet, having a good night’s sleep and getting regular exercise
- being part of a family that gets along well most of the time
- going to a school that looks after the wellbeing of all its pupils
- having time and the freedom to play, indoors and outdoors
- set limits for screen time and avoid screen time for at least an hour before going to sleep
- healthy balance of active and passive screen time
- taking part in local activities for young people
Other factors are also important, including:
- feeling loved, trusted, understood, valued and safe
- being interested in life and having opportunities to enjoy themselves
- being hopeful and optimistic
- being able to learn and having opportunities to succeed
- accepting who they are and recognising what they are good at
- having a sense of belonging in their family, school and community
- feeling they have some control over their own life
- having the strength to cope when something is wrong (resilience) and the ability to solve problems
