CARNEGIE MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS AWARD

Whitstable Junior School has been awarded SILVER status in the Carnegie Mental Health in Schools Award. 

We started on our Mental Health Award journey in September 2019. Ms Collin became our Mental Health Lead.

The award has enabled us to self-assess and reflect on our well-being offer and practices. It has meant that we have looked at the impact of our interventions and considered new strategies and initiatives which have further developed awareness and understanding of mental health.

Well-being and mental health has always been at the heart of WJS, but this award has meant that it is now truly embedded into our school ethos and across our whole school community thus benefiting the children, staff and parents of the school.

It has helped us to build on our understanding of mental health needs and increase and spread awareness while removing any stigma around these needs. We are incredibly proud to have been awarded the SILVER Status by the assessors at Leeds Beckett University.

Our assessor stated that,

‘Whitstable Junior School has presented a wide-ranging profile of evidence that demonstrates

strong practice well-developed in school and some examples of significant impact on a range of stakeholders. The school has used the framework and content of the Award to good effect to develop their mental health and wellbeing strategies, structures, and practices.’ 

What is Mental Health?

When our mental health is good, we feel positive about ourselves. When we are finding things hard and we begin to struggle, this can impact our mental health.

We all have Mental Health. Watch this short animation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxIDKZHW3-E

A mentally Healthy School is one that adopts a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. It is a school that helps children flourish, learn and succeed by providing opportunities for them, and the adults around them, to develop the strengths and coping skills that underpin resilience.

A mentally healthy school sees positive mental health and wellbeing as fundamental to its values, mission and culture.

It is a school where child, staff and parent/carer mental health and wellbeing is seen as ‘everybody’s business’.

Source: https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/

 Ms Kirsten Collin has qualified as a Senior Mental Health Lead by completing the Advanced Senior Mental Health Lead training with Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools.

 

Websites to help and where to find support

For Parents:

https://www.parentkind.org.uk/For-Parents
http://www.actionforhappiness.org/  
https://www.goodmentalhealthmatters.com  
https://youngminds.org.uk/
https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people  
https://www.headstartkent.org.uk/

For Children:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/25036313
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/39383026

https://www.headstartkent.org.uk/