Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 will take place from 13th – 19th May, focusing on the theme of “Movement: Moving more for our mental health”. Mental Health Awareness Week is a key moment in the mental health calendar for everyone, including young people and adults. We recently celebrated Children’s Mental Health Week in February and raised money for “Place2Be”. Place2Be is a children and young people's mental health charity with almost 30 years' experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools. We also acknowledged Parent Mental Health Day on Saturday 27th January 2024. This day provided an opportunity for parents and carers to acknowledge and discuss their struggles as parents but also share in their achievements. 

At Wallington High School for Girls, our approach to mental health is part of a consistent whole school approach which involves providing a structured school environment with clear expectations of behaviour, well communicated social norms and routines, which are reinforced with highly consistent consequence systems. This is paired with an individualised graduated response in the form of our Social, Emotional and Mental Health Provision Map which can be found in our Mental Health Policy on our website. We believe it is important that children are provided with support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in their life. Providing early help is more effective in promoting the welfare of children than reacting later. For more information on this please see our Mental Health Policy. 

We pride ourselves in the level of pastoral care we offer at Wallington High School for Girls. We also recognise that working with families in promoting wellbeing as an ongoing topic of conversation and consideration within the home is key to supporting the mental health and emotional needs of our pupils. Before Christmas we sent out a survey to students asking for their views and opinions on how the school supports students with their mental health and wellbeing. When asked what the school does well to support students with their mental health and wellbeing, the top 5 options for support were: the Green Room, the range of different people to talk to, Teddy the Wellbeing Dog, Wellbeing Mentors and our friendly staff. We are due to re-send this survey in the Summer Term to gather more information. Mrs O’Brien also sent a survey to parents earlier this year asking for their thoughts on mental health support in school. 87% of parents felt that the school supports their child’s mental health and wellbeing.   

Looking after our mental health is important for all of us. Just like with physical health, there are things we can all do to help us look after our mental wellbeing and face the challenges life throws at us. For more information please visit this website - https://mentalhealth-uk.org/help-and-information/health-and-wellbeing/  

- Miss M Gough

Assistant Headteacher 

Designated Safeguarding Lead