Southgate School Goes For Wellbeing Award!

In 2019, we successfully achieved the Wellbeing Award for Schools.  This recognises our dedication to promoting and supporting wellbeing and mental health of our whole school community.  We are committed working closely with pupils, families, staff and the Educational Psychology service to raise the awareness of mental health and support wellbeing.  Staff across the school have completed a wide range of specialist training courses from the Mental Health School Traiblazer project and we have a team of Mental Health First Aiders. 

Wellbeing Champions

We have a team of Wellbeing Champions, who meet regularly to discuss ways to enhance and promote emotional wellbeing and mental health across the school.

Pupil Wellbeing Aims:

Extend and enhance our provision for all pupils’ emotional health and wellbeing by developing awareness and skills to meet the increasingly complex and high level of social, emotional and mental health needs of pupils within our cohort.

• Have a designated wellbeing team that work to improve the pupil offer in school
• Staff training to consistently build knowledge and skills and to improve practice. Training includes attachment and trauma, mental health awareness, restorative practice, nurture and positive language
• Specialist SEMH training including emotion coaching, bereavement and grief support and youth mental health first aid
• Provide opportunities for student voice to be heard through school council and class feedback
• Designated pastoral and intervention teams working across school supporting staff and pupils
• Offer personalised wellbeing sessions tailored for pupil need
• Referrals to CHEWS / CAMHS
• Referrals to the IST (Intensive Support Team)

Staff Wellbeing Aims:

Create an environment where staff feel that they are encouraged to be open about how they are feeling, where they feel comfortable talking about their own emotional wellbeing and mental health and feel that they will be listened to and supported.

• Have a designated wellbeing team that work to improve the staff offer in school
• Promote wellbeing awareness through training, communication and information
• Provide access to trained mental health at work first aiders
• Develop positive, supportive relationships through improved line management structures, peer support and strong teams
• Provide a work free staff room and quiet space
• Provide health and wellbeing workshops / sessions

Family Wellbeing Aims:

Become a community hub for parents and carers, so that they can support each other and request or access support for their child’s mental health and emotional wellbeing through school.

• Family Liaison Officer and designated wellbeing team who work to improve the family offer in school
• Build positive relationships with families and carers
• Family workshops / training e.g. ELKLAN, Makaton
• Encourage family / carer voice through annual questionnaire, feedback and focus groups
• Continued good communication through Class Dojo, email, ParentHub, Social Media and the website
• Provide a welcoming environment and family room
• The school ethos values families and carers
• School development plan is shared with parents / carers