Pastoral Care
Our staff, alongside our Senior Leadership Team, help children and families with any difficulties they may be experiencing. They are available to listen, offer support and give practical advice.
We:
- Listen
- Offer support
- Promote positive behaviour
- Identify the barriers to learning and set targets
- Offer encouragement and build self-esteem and confidence
Who do we work with?
- Individuals and groups of children
- Parents/carers
- External agencies such as; social services, police, health professionals, CAMHS, doctors and nurses.
How do you access support or make contact?
- Children – any child in the school can ask for help if they have a problem or a worry at school or at home. They can do this by approaching any member of staff.
- There is also our Worry Box. Children can write their worries down on any piece of paper and put them in – either with their name or without. Our Senior Leadership Team will check the worry box regularly and help children resolve any worries that they might have.
- Parents/carers – if you have a pastoral concern regarding your child then you can phone the school, speak to your child’s class teacher or make an appointment to see one of our Senior Leadership Team. Contact can be made through the school office or email – [email protected]
Our aims are:
For Children:
- Build confidence, raise self-esteem and motivation
- Improve social skills, form relationships with friends, family and staff
- Improve attendance and punctuality
- Remove barriers to learning
- Help children to achieve their potential
For Families:
- Improve support and communication between home and school
- Access to outside agencies and someone to talk to in confidence
For school:
- More effective and efficient communication between parents/carers, teachers and outside agencies
- Reduction in anti-social behaviour
Which children are likely to benefit?
There are many young people and families who benefit from being supported pastorally, especially those who receive no extra support out of school.
These children include:
- Poor attendees and/or late
- Underachievers
- Lack of self esteem/motivation
- Have difficulties at home
- Are ‘looked after’ children
- Suffering from behavioural problems
- Victims of abuse
- Bereavement
- Medical problems
What can parents carers do to help?
- Talk to your child about concerns they may have and contact the school – classteacher, support assistant, office staff and or breakfast/afterschool club
- Seek advice and support from the Senior Leadership Team at any time
- Attend parents evening
- Keep up to date with school newsletters
- Read our school website/log on to our School APP on a regular basis
Websites for Further Support
Information on anxiety in children; for parents
https://www.happymaps.co.uk/age-group/primaryschool/primary-anxiety
https://www.anxietycanada.com/learn-about-anxiety/anxiety-in-children/
Building self-esteem: information for parents
https://youngminds.org.uk/media/3690/self-esteem.pdf
Happy Maps – https://www.happymaps.co.uk/
Well being resources
Mentally Healthy Schools – A toolkit of resources
Resource library : Mentally Healthy Schools
A mindfulness calendar with 5 minute daily activities- these are lovely!
https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/mindfulness-calendar-daily-five-minute-activities/
Meg Jones
Education Mental Health Practitioner
Hello, my name is Meg, and I am the Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) for St Bernadette’s Primary School. I work for the Wigan Mental Health Support Team (MHST) in schools. Our team of low-intensity practitioners consist of EMHPs (Education Mental Health Practitioners) and CYWPs (Children and young People’s Well-being Practitioners). Each low-intensity practitioner can provide interventions focusing on:
- Worry (Generalised Anxiety)
- Specific Phobias
- Low mood
- Sleep Problems
- Parenting for anxiety (under 12’s)
- Parenting for behaviour (under 9’s)
Each brief intervention consists of 6-8 sessions of low-level cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), with sessions lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour. Brief interventions can be delivered one to one with children and young people, in a group or with parents. Children and young people can attend brief intervention sessions in school, at Wigan CAMHS or online via Microsoft Teams.
If you feel as though your child needs support with a low-level mental health need, please contact school who will be able to discuss making a referral to our team.
The Wigan CAMHS Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
Our school is part of a cluster of schools in Wigan who are supported by the MHST. The MHST work with our designated Mental Health Lead to provide 3 functions:
· Deliver evidence-based interventions for mild-to-moderate mental health issues.
· Support the senior mental health lead (where established) in each school or college to introduce or develop their whole school or college approach.
· Give timely advice to school and college staff, and liaise with external specialist services to help children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.
Please see below our MHST padlet link which you are welcome to include on your school website along with any of the information and resources you feel are appropriate. The padlet link includes information for schools, parents, and young people about the MHST, signposting and resources to support children and young people with low-level mental health needs.
https://padlet.com/WiganCAMHS/MHSTInfo
The below website has the location of our MHST and explains the referrals process to our service:
Wigan CAMHS MHST | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT (gmmh.nhs.uk)
Here is a more detailed link explaining the purpose and function of MHST’s in schools on a national level should staff or parents want further information:
NHS England » Mental health support in schools and colleges
