Mental health and wellbeing

Promoting children's mental health is crucial for equipping them to face the future with confidence. As interactions become increasingly virtual and remote, it is vital for children to develop an understanding of their emotions and to learn practical strategies that support positive mental health and well-being.

Weekly structure

To nurture well-being, our school schedule incorporates three weekly checkpoints. These sessions give children regular opportunities to connect with peers, discuss achievements and difficulties, and voice concerns in a safe and supportive environment.

• Check in (Monday): The first 20 minutes are dedicated to reconnecting as a class. Activities include circle games and oracy tasks that encourage students to share their feelings about the week ahead. Staff provide additional support if needed, helping every child feel ready to learn.
• Check up (Wednesday): Children join a phase assembly (EYFS/Key Stage 1/Key Stage 2) focusing on understanding emotions, behaviours, and their impacts. Afterward, discussions continue within classes, allowing students to reflect on successes and areas for improvement.
• Check out (Friday): The week ends with a positive session designed to prevent worries from carrying into the weekend. Through board games, team-building activities, and group conversations, children strengthen social skills and peer connections. Each class celebrates a peer with a school values certificate for positive attitudes or behaviours.

Curriculum foundation

These sessions are underpinned by a curriculum aligned with the zones of regulation framework.

The zones of regulation: how it works

The zones of regulation is a simple, child-friendly approach to help children recognise and manage their emotions. Feelings and states of alertness are grouped into four coloured zones:

• Blue zone: low states of alertness (e.g. tired, sad, bored)
• Green zone: calm, ready to learn (e.g. happy, focused, content)
• Yellow zone: heightened states (e.g. excited, worried, frustrated)
• Red zone: very intense feelings (e.g. anger, panic, loss of control)

By identifying which zone they are in, children develop the language to talk about their emotions and learn strategies to return to the green zone. This empowers them to self-regulate, build resilience, and maintain positive relationships.