Mental Health and Wellbeing

At Chesterton Primary School, we aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for our whole school community (children, staff, parents and carers). We recognise that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing and can significantly affect their learning and achievement.

Our ongoing focus on SDG3, good health and wellbeing, is embedded throughout the school, ensuring that our whole school community develop the skills they need to look after their own and others wellbeing. Our mental health and wellbeing policy can be found in full here.

Social and emotional skills help children and young people to:

identify and manage their feelings and their behaviour, and reach out for help where necessary
build and manage healthy relationships
have self-control
resolve conflict
be self-aware
handle and overcome difficulties
make good decisions
build resilience, self-esteem and confidence
think positively about themselves and how they perceive the world around them
recognise and prevent poor mental health
grow into well-rounded and healthy adults.

How we support positive mental health and wellbeing at Chesterton

Whitney Tremaine (Deputy Head) is our Senior Mental Health Lead. She is certified by the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families.
We have three mental health first aiders.
Forest School
Two learning mentors
Two ELSA trained staff
Drama therapist
Nurture Nest following an evidence-based approach
Our robust PSHCE curriculum provides all pupils with opportunities to develop SEMH skills needed to prepare them for life
All staff have been trained in trauma informed approaches through the Battersea Mental Health Support Team

The Mental Health Support Team

Chesterton Primary are proud to work with the Battersea Mental Health Support Team (MHST) who work within schools in Wandsworth to provide an additional source of support to children/young people and their families. The scheme developed by the Department of Education and the NHS aims at boosting wellbeing and emotional health within whole school communities.

MHST at Chesterton offer support through a number of ways including a confidential and non-judgemental space for children to explore difficulties, 1:1 sessions and workshops for parents to help them to support their children and support for staff in keeping wellbeing and emotional health at the heart of school life. We also host a range of coffee morning in collaboration with the team which helps to build support networks within the community.

Support for parents and carers

We understand that supporting your child emotionally can be tricky at times. It can be hard to know what to do or say, especially in our modern, ever-changing world. Please make use of the links below as a point of reference to support you. Parents/carers who have any concerns about their child's emotional health and wellbeing should initially contact their child's class teacher.

If you need urgent mental health support, please click here for more information including services available and telephone numbers.

Conversation Starters

Parenting Advice from Experts

The Education Hub

Place 2 Be

Young Minds

Wandsworth Mental Health

Parent Talk

NSPCC

NHS - Every Mind Matters

Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families has a range of support to build positive mental health.

Support for Anxiety