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Health and Wellbeing at The Lea

At The Lea, all members of staff understand that the aim of teaching pupils about physical health and mental wellbeing is to give them the information that they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing. Our intent is to enable children to recognise what is normal and what is an issue in themselves and others and, when issues arise, know how to seek support as early as possible from appropriate sources.

We know that physical health and mental wellbeing are interlinked, and we put great emphasis on teaching so that pupils understand that good physical health contributes to good mental wellbeing, and vice versa.

At The Lea, we promote pupils’ self-control and ability to self-regulate, and teach them strategies for doing so. This will enable them to become confident in their ability to achieve well and persevere even when they encounter setbacks or when their goals are distant, and to respond calmly and rationally to setbacks and challenges. We are also know that a whole-school approach to the teaching and promotion of health and wellbeing has a positive impact on behaviour and attainment.

All elements of our school curriculum are designed around nurturing individuals and ensuring that all children understand the characteristics of good physical health and mental wellbeing.

In June 2022 we were proud to be the first primary school in Harpenden, St Albans and the villages to receive the kitemark accreditation for Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Awareness, by Healthy Young Minds in Hertfordshire (HYMIH).

The HYMIH kitemark accreditation is awarded for a school’s contribution to supporting mental health and wellbeing by completing a self-reflective document containing 11 key areas:

  • Wellbeing kitemark logoethos and environment,
  • curriculum,
  • teaching learning and resilience,
  • connections and connectedness,
  • student voice,
  • staff wellbeing and development,
  • identifying need,
  • monitoring impact,
  • working with parents and carers,
  • targeted support and leadership,
  • management.

This document is then reviewed and discussed in a multi-agency panel, which consists of representatives from Public Health, Public Health Nursing service, Educational Psychologist, Herts for Learning, Primary, Secondary, Specialist schools and the Strategic Leads for Mental Health in Schools.

Wellbeing kitemark accreditation

 

Parent Survey 2021/22: “The Lea have been instrumental when it comes to the wellbeing of my children. The continued support and understanding from all the staff is priceless. I have great respect for their school ethos.”