Mental Health and Wellbeing

If you would like to meet with our Mental Health and Wellbeing Manager, please contact the school office at office@ethelbert-road.kent.sch.uk or telephone to arrange an appointment with Mrs Cornall on 01795 533124.

Please find useful information below.

School Diversity Week

26th June - 30th June 2023

Wear Your Rainbow with Pride!

Be proud of who you are and have fun with Elmer...

Elmer encourages us to celebrate everyone's true colours and differences by promoting acceptance and inclusivity.

We are all uniquely wonderful, be who you want to be! 

Nurture diversity by sharing these books...

For World Book Day, our Wellbeing Warriors recommend 'Find Your Happy' by Emily Coxhead the creator of The Happy News.

'Feeling Happy is a wonderful thing! But do you ever feel sad or angry, frightened or shy? Everyone does sometimes, but with a little help from Sloth and the people you love, there is always a way to 'Find Your Happy!'

This term, Class One have been 'finding their happy' by following the Wheel of Wellbeing!

They have been using positive affirmations and learning ways to relax and be active with weekly Cosmic Yoga. Take a look...

Our Early Years Class, 'found their happy' when they read the book 'Pass It On' by Sophy Henn. They spent time thinking with their families about the 'little things' that uplift them and made this beautiful happiness display to share with the school!

Class Three love 'finding their happy' through teamwork and co-operation, both of which reinforce the 'Connect' and 'Give' ways to Wellbeing! 

The whole school were also invited to 'find their happy' by expressing themselves. Children across the school beautifully decorated pebbles. These will add a splash of colour and positive thinking under a tree in our Wheel of Wellbeing garden...

Children's Mental Health Week - 6th to 12th February, 2023 - Let's Connect!

Connecting with others is part of the Wheel of Wellbeing. Let’s Connect is about making meaningful connections. People thrive in communities, and this connection is vital for our wellbeing. When we have healthy connections – to family, friends and others – this can support our mental health and our sense of wellbeing. For Children’s Mental Health Week 2023, we’re encouraging people to connect with others in healthy, rewarding and meaningful ways. See the resources below for ideas on how to connect...

Look after your wellbeing, as a family, as you countdown to the holidays!

Each day, try a different activity from the Self-Care Toolkit, to help boost wellbeing and look after your family's mental health in the lead up to the festive season

Care for the Planet!

We all took time to think about the Wheel of Wellbeing 'Care for the Planet' way to wellbeing and made this whole school display. Caring for nature and the planet are definitely ways for us to feel mentally well and part of something bigger than ourselves. What would you pledge to do to care for the planet?

Growing Together is about growing emotionally and finding ways to help each other grow. Challenges and setbacks can help us to grow and adapt and trying new things can help us to move beyond our comfort zone into a new realm of possibility and potential. 

Celebrate yourself as a parent and be gentle with yourself, you're doing the best you can! 

We are all individuals and have our own journeys, so be kind to yourself in the face of challenges and pressure. Know that your best is 'good enough'. The children's charity Place2Be have launched a new website for parents and carers. ParentingSmart is full of expert advice and tips on supporting children's wellbeing and behaviour. Take a look...

Join Us in Celebrating Diversity!

Our whole school assembly this week celebrated difference by exploring the themes of equality, diversity and inclusion. To mark Black History Month, Place2Be's Art Room has developed an activity encouraging children to explore stories and lives of inspirational black people to help them think about who inspires them. Take a look and be inspired!

Hello Yellow Day brightened our school with laughter, dancing and sunshine yellow!

On Friday 8th October we celebrated World Mental Health Day. We showed each other that we are not alone with our mental health by having fun together, sharing feelings, valuing the little things, and learning about the Wheel of Wellbeing and The Zones of Regulation

We proudly raised £200 for Young Minds!

Thank you to all of our school community, for joining in and supporting one another to have better mental self-care.

Also take a look at the photos of our budding gardeners in our Wheel of Wellbeing garden. They learned about the 'Care for Your Planet' way to wellbeing, with Mrs Willis, by making a hedgehog house! 

On Hello Yellow Day, every class had a copy of the newspaper 'The Happy News' by Emily Coxhead. This newspaper celebrates all that is good in the world and is a platform for sharing positive news and wonderful people!

Open Your Eyes to the Power of Nature

The evidence is clear that spending even a short time in nature is vital for human health, promoting better physical and mental wellbeing. Nature can heal, reduce stress and pain, refresh tired minds, boost immunity and create space for quiet contemplation. Unstructured play outdoors can help us connect with others, while the repetitive patterns in nature fascinate us, relaxing and rebooting our brain. (RHS - Your Wellbeing Garden)

Visit Action for Happiness for more positive messages!

SCOPE Mindful Monsters Rainbow Day

Monday 19th April 2021

It's that time again! Dig out those rainbow colour clothes and dress to express in exchange for one pound to raise money for the disability charity SCOPE.

The Mindful Monsters will brighten our first day of term with an afternoon of fun mindfulness activities to help us learn to 'take notice' and be gentle with ourselves. 

Place2Be are hosting Children's Mental Health Week from 1-7 February 2021. This year's theme is  'Express Yourself' through creativity.  Place2Be has created free activities and resources to help children (and adults) to explore the different creative ways that they can share thoughts, feelings and ideas . This could be through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film and doing activities that make you feel good! From the 1st February, use the link below to access activities and an online assembly that you can use at home. Enjoy and get creative!

Keeping negative thoughts bottled up can lead to poor mental health and this can become a barrier for children's learning and wellbeing. This song and video encourages children to express themselves through music. It supports them to talk about their feelings and to focus on positive thoughts and actions when feeling worried or sad. So enjoy and sing along!

Coping with Unexpected Change and Uncertainty

We know that our children's lives have been disrupted during these uncertain times. Some may be suffering from anxiety as schools reopen, others may be feeling isolated at home because they would like to return to school but can't. Professor Prathiba Chitsabesan (NHS England Associate National Clinical Director for Children and Young People’s Mental Health) explained that: “Children and young people may be experiencing a variety of feelings in response to the coronavirus pandemic, including anxiety, distress and low mood." "It is important to understand that these are normal responses to an abnormal situation.”

Parents can take simple steps to help children who might be struggling to deal with the loneliness and uncertainty of lockdown or fears about returning to school.

Signs that parents should look out for include: 

• Children are more upset or find it hard to manage their emotions
• They may appear anxious or distressed
• Increasing trouble with sleeping and eating
• Appearing low in mood, withdrawn or tearful 
• Reporting worried or negative thoughts about themselves or their future
• For younger children, there may be more bed wetting 

Links to local and regional services are detailed below alongside toolkits and mental health and wellbeing resources for children and adults.

Visit Action for Happiness for more positive thoughts for the day!

See the Ten Keys to Happier Living information below...

The NHS offers a large amount of mental health support for young people and adults. If you are concerned about a young person’s mental health and are not sure what extra help is needed you can call the Single Point of Access (SPA) ON 0300 1234496. The SPA is there to help you explore the difficulties and find the most appropriate response. We are still #HereForYou. If you are a parent or teacher you can also access useful resources and service information at www.kentresiliencehub.org.uk  #KentTogether.

Text ‘Kent’ to 85258 for in the moment help when life gets overwhelming and you need immediate support. No fee, no registration or data required - it is silent, free, confidential and anonymous. We are here for everyone, young people and adults, 24/7 - text any time, day or night, whenever you need mental health support. We are #HereForYou 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever you need mental health support. #KentTogether

Support is available from domestic abuse services in Kent during this time for victims and those worried about loved ones. Visit www.domesticabuseservices.org.uk for local support services and advice, or contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 for confidential support 24 hours a day. You can also ring Childline on 0800 1111 if you are a child or young person who is a victim, or are worried about domestic violence in your home. #KentTogether #HereForYou

Happiness is not about denying negative feelings or being joyful all the time. It's about making the most of good times and learning to cope effectively with bad times too. The Ten Keys to Happier Living is an evidence based guide to help us be happier and more resilient to life's ups and downs. It offers ideas, insight and practical actions that you can take to create more happiness for yourself and those around you. 

Easy-to-use activities to enhance emotional wellbeing in all children and to support the Recovery Curriculum in schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The activities are divided into three key approaches: Self-regulate for Wellbeing; Get Moving Mentally and Physically for Wellbeing and Connect for Wellbeing.

We’re coming to the end of 2020, and it has been a uniquely challenging and difficult year for everybody. The Christmas holidays this year may be welcome for some families, but anxiety-inducing for others. Children may be worried about what the festive season will look like this year. This toolkit helps us all to reflect on 2020, and manage any end-of-term anxieties.  It includes resources to support the wellbeing of staff, parents and young people.

'Be ready' for a fun afternoon and to make another rainbow splash, on our first day back, next term. Dress in Rainbow colours in exchange for one pound to raise money for Save the Children. An afternoon of wellbeing activities are planned around the themes of 'Hopes for the future' and 'The same, but different'.

After the stress and worry of the coronavirus pandemic, this year Children in Need are making children’s mental wellbeing their number one priority. Five to Thrive is their new unique programme of wellbeing activities inspired by the Wheel of Wellbeing, to help children feel happier and healthier this year. 

A huge thank you to our Ethelbert family and our Year Six Rainbow Wellbeing Champions for helping us to 'connect' and 'give' on our first Rainbow Day of the year.  We enjoyed a colourful afternoon of Five to Thrive wellbeing activities, including a mindfulness colouring competition, and we raised £207.40 for Children in Need!

Create a whole school rainbow by wearing rainbow colour clothes on Rainbow Days!

First Rainbow Day - Monday 2nd November...

Four of our Year Six girls have recognised that some children find it anxiety provoking returning to school after long periods of time at home. These girls have been thinking about wellbeing and three of the Keys to Happier Living: 'Giving', 'Direction' and 'Resilience'. They are keen to encourage our Ethelbert children to 'Be Ready' and excited to return to school, following school holidays. They would like to introduce Rainbow Days for our children to look forward to whilst also supporting each other to bounce back when coping with change and transition. These days will be non-uniform and rainbow day afternoons will be full of fun, wellbeing challenges set by the girls. The girls are also keen to help us to give and think of others by collecting donations for different children's charities on these Rainbow Days...

More details to follow...

Giving and Relating are two of the Ten Keys to Happier Living. Two of our amazing Year Five children have taken a lead in showing us how to use these keys by setting up a kindness project. This week, adults have given out 'WEKIND' tokens to reward anybody that has been kind. These tokens have been collected in a class box, counted at the end of the week and prizes allocated. These boys have been spectacular and have worked hard on their plan. The Resilience and Wellbeing Team are super proud of how they are supporting our school community to achieve better wellbeing by reminding us to connect with people and do kind acts for others!

"WEKIND is all about kindness and support. This means supporting your friends and helping whenever. Classes will be rewarded for random acts of kindness." Adam and Will (Year 5)

Mrs Willis is running weekly sessions in our school garden to promote the Wheel of Wellbeing. Year One have been learning about some of the ways to wellbeing by caring for our planet, taking notice of what is around us and being active. They thought about the importance of trees to our environment and us and had fun planting acorns and conkers that they found on their autumn walk.

Let's Brighten up a school day for our children's mental health!

We said #Hello Yellow to show our Ethelbert family that we are not alone with our mental health. This year's theme was 'Coming Together'.  We have all been living through difficult times. By being there for each other and sharing positive moments, we can feel hopeful about the future

Thank you for supporting us to make our Hello Yellow Day a day of sunshine, dancing and laughter!

We Raised £197.64 in donations for Young Minds!

Although we couldn't physically all 'come together', our Wellbeing Tree display enabled everyone in our school community to put our self-care thoughts together and reminds us of the Wheel of Wellbeing and the Ten Keys to Happier Living.

Optimism and hope give us direction in our lives. When we are hopeful about the future, we're likely to be happier. Having a sense of direction and plans to help us get from where we are now to where we hope to be, enables us to turn our dreams into reality.

Remember that Mental Self-Care is not selfish it is essential! You can't pour from an empty cup. Take a look at this self-care calendar for a positive thought or action for each day of this month to help you take care of your own wellbeing

Self Care in the Summer

Just as we look after our physical health, it’s important to look after our mental health. Self-care is all about what you can do to help yourself feel better or to keep yourself feeling good. It’s a way that we can look after our own mental health and wellbeing. It can help your body and mind to relax, drift away, or be more energised. There are five ways to mental wellbeing - Connect, Give, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Be Active.

There are lots of different ways you can try self-care: dancing, spending time with friends, playing sports, laughing, drawing, being in nature, gardening, and spending time with pets - anything that makes you feel good! Take a look at the links below to give you some ideas for keeping mentally healthy and getting ready for coming back to school. Have fun and see you in September!

Weblinks to Useful Organisations Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing: