Varna Community Primary SchoolMental Health
''I love Varna because I never feel alone. There are lots of friendly people here to help you!''
Our approach to mental health and wellbeing.
We believe that Vara Community Primary School is a place where all individuals are treated with respect and courtesy irrespective of their age, gender, race, nationality, cultural background or lifestyle. Our school school encourages all children and adults, to strive to be the best that they can be, academically and personally, where the well-being of everyone is a priority.
We see mental health is just as important as our physical health and understand that a positive state of mind allows children to feel secure and confident, enjoy learning, build strong relationships and thrive in all areas of life. We also understand that many different experiences can impact the way we feel, such as bereavement, family changes, illnesses, disabilities, peer relationships or being a young carer. During these times, it’s essential that children feel they can share their feelings and have the tools to navigate their emotions.
At Varna Community Primary School we aim to create an open culture around the discussion of mental health and wellbeing and to empower our children to be able to regulate their emotions. We also have a dedicated 'Mental health and wellbieng team' who can give addtional support and avdvice in this area - please see the below poster that is displayed across our school grounds.
Below, you'll find more information on local and national mental health resources, an overview of common mental health conditions affecting children, strategies to support them, and information on 'Zones of regulation' & 'Five Ways to Wellbeing' to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Common Mental Health Conditions in Children
Understanding mental health conditions can help in providing appropriate support. Here are some common conditions affecting children:
- Anxiety Disorders: Children may feel excessive fear or worry in various situations.
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Characterised by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
- Depression: Persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in activities.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A developmental disorder affecting communication and behavior.
- Eating Disorders: Unhealthy eating behaviors that can significantly impact health and well-being.
Strategies to Support Children
Supporting children with mental health challenges involves:
- Open Communication: Encourage children to express their feelings and listen without judgment.
- Consistent Routines: Establish regular schedules to provide a sense of security.
- Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge and praise positive behaviors to build self-esteem.
- Professional Help: Seek guidance from mental health professionals when needed.
- Educational Support: Work in partnership with shcool to support learning needs.
Government wellbeing guidance: click here
Top tips for Wellbeing from Dr Alex George click here
Zones of Emotional Regulation - what are they?
By implementing the Zones of Regulation into our daily teaching and curriculum, we aim to teach our pupils to identify emotions in themselves and others and provide them with a bank of strategies to help regulate their emotions and improve their wellbeing.
The Zones of Regulation is a range of strategies and activities to help your child develop skills in the area of self-regulation. Self-regulation can go by many names, such as self-control, self-management and impulsive control. It is defined as the best state of alertness of both the body and emotions for the specific situation. For example, if your child is playing in a sporting competition, it is beneficial to have a higher state of alertness. However, that same state would not be appropriate in the library.
The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum based around the use of four colours to help children self-identify how they’re feeling and categorise it based on colour. This method helps the children understand their emotions, sensory needs and thinking patterns. They will learn different strategies to cope and manage their emotions based on which colour zone they are in. Additionally, this will help the children to recognise their own triggers, learn to read facial expressions, develop problem solving skills and become more attuned to how their actions affect other people.
Blue Zone: low level of arousal; not ready to learn; feels sad, sick, tired, bored, moving slowly.
Green Zone: calm state of alertness; optimal level to learn; feels happy, calm, feeling okay, focused.
Yellow Zone: heightened state of alertness; elevated emotions; has some control; feels frustrated, worried, silly/wiggly, excited, loss of some control.
Red Zone: heightened state of alertness and intense emotions; not an optimal level for learning; out of control; feels mad/angry, terrified, yelling/hitting, elated, out of control.
How you can use the Zones of Regulation at home?
At home, it would be very beneficial if you talk through the four different zones with your child. Ask them how they would feel in each zone?
- Discuss what emotion they feel in each zone e.g. in the yellow zone I may feel worried.
- How they physically feel e.g. in the yellow zone I may have butterflies in my stomach or have sweaty palms (if feeling anxious).
- Then discuss what they might be doing – what might their actions be e.g. in the yellow zone I may be pacing the room, fidgeting or snapping at others.
- Then discuss how to help them move into the green zone e.g. if I was in the yellow zone and feeling anxious I might find completing some yoga stretches and breathing techniques help me get back too green.
- Create a list of strategies that work for your child – Remind your child that we are all unique and strategies that work for one person might not help them so they need to look at what strategies are best for them personally.
Remind your child that we all experience all four zones and there are no good or bad zones. However, our success in regulating our emotions depends on us recognising how we feel, understanding that feeling and putting a support strategy in place.
If you would like paper copy of the above table, free of charge, please ask at the school office and we will put a copy in your child’s bag.
5 Ways to Wellbeing
At Varna we follow the 5 ways to wellbeing to help us focus on our physical and mental health and wellbeing. We have a weekly focus and regularly set challenges and activities for children and staff to support their physical,emotional and mental health.
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are simple things to do every day that can help us all to feel happier and more positive, below are some simple ideas.
Connect: Keep in touch with family/friends, play games together, listen to music that reminds you of
special times, share old photos/memories.
Be Active: Walk, dance, jog, create football challenges, play hide and seek, complete jobs around the
house, circuit training.
Take Notice: Spend time outside every day, observe nature, try yoga, be creative, look up at the night sky.
Keep Learning: Watch a new film, read a book, learn a new fact, cook or bake, share a skill, try something
different.
Give: Time to relax, help someone with a job, call someone to check they are doing ok, give someone a
hug.
Website Links for further Support:
Local Mental Health Charities and Support Services
Here are some organizations in the Manchester and Openshaw area that offer mental health support:
- Manchester Mind: An independent local charity delivering services to young people and adults.
- Website: Manchester Mind
- 42nd Street: Provides free and confidential services to young people experiencing difficulties with their mental health and emotional well-being.
- Website: 42nd Street
- Manchester Settlement: A charity rooted in the urban communities of Manchester, offering various services to meet the needs of individuals, families, and communities.
- Website: Manchester Settlement
National Mental Health Charities
For broader support, consider these national organizations:
- Mind: Provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
- Website: Mind
- Mental Health Foundation: Works to prevent mental health problems and promote good mental health for all.
- Website: Mental Health Foundation
- NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS): Provides support for children and young people with mental health difficulties.
- Website: CAMHS
- Better Health Channel: Offers advice on helping your child with mental illness.
- Website: Helping Your Child with Mental Illness
Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength.
If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out to these resources or contact a healthcare professional.
Mental health and Wellbeing events at Varna
Children's Mental Health Week (3rd-7th February 2025)
This year's theme was 'Know youself, Grow yourself'. At Varna we kicked the week off with our Monday morning assembly being about what mental health is, why it is important and shared ideas of things we can do to help.
Throughout the week the children's PSHE lessons were all about mental health and the voice of the child. Children had the opportunity to share with their class and learn more about each other. The school council presented to their class each day one of the 5 steps to wellbeing:
On Thursday 6th February the staff mental health and wellbeing team held a parent/carer coffee morning where we discussed evrrything 'mental health'. We had guest speakers from Manchester City Coucils Young Carer co-ordinator as well as colleagues from Gorton Hub who all shared information on the services and support they provide.(If you were unabe to attend the coffee morning and would like to access the informaton provide please click the below powerpoint pesentation which you will find at the end of this page).
On Friday we ended the week with a non-uniform day. Children and staff were encouraged to wear clothes and colours that made them happy.