Mental Health and Wellbeing at Alderbrook
At Alderbrook, we believe that good mental health and wellbeing is essential for children to develop and grow.
We know from research that positive wellbeing and mental health is linked to quality of life, relationships and capacity to learn.
At different times, lots of children can struggle with their mental health which can be for lots of different reasons. We believe that early access to advice and support is key to promoting wellbeing at an early stage.
Wellbeing is not only important to children but to all of us. This is why we are part of a community of schools in Wandsworth dedicated to a Whole School Approach to mental health and wellbeing. We aim to work together to promote children’s, parent’s, carers and staff wellbeing.
We recommend speaking to a member school staff should you have any questions or concerns about your child’s wellbeing or mental health.
Getting Advice:
-Wandsworth Education Wellbeing Service runs live webinars for parents on a range of different mental health and wellbeing related topics, find out more and sign up here: Primary Parents - NHS Wellbeing Workshops | Eventbrite We also have a range of recorded videos here - Education Wellbeing Service - SWLSTG - YouTube
Getting Help
In School Wellbeing and Mental Health Support:
-In school support options to support your child’s wellbeing include ELSA (Emotional Literacy and Support), Nurture Groups, Whole Class PSHE sessions and workshops supported by the NHS and other services such as our Worry Ninja sessions to support Year 6s with confident transitions to secondary school.
We recommend also speaking to your class teacher or Miss Roots if you would like to think about other options for support or talk through any concerns.
Wandsworth Education Wellbeing Service works with our school offering early and preventative evidence-based mental health advice and support. They are an NHS team that includes qualified Wellbeing Practitioners who offer a range of workshops across the school year as well as the following offer:
-1:1 Guided Self-Help with Parents to Help their Child’s Common Fears or Worries (best for parents of children aged 8-11) – this usually involves 6-8 weekly sessions with parents to provide and think together about tools to help with children’s anxieties or worries. This can include things like phobias, building confidence, anxiety and difficulties around bedtimes or going to school, health worries and other fears. The sessions use ideas and tools including from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
-1:1 Guided Self-Help with Parents to Help their Child’s Common Tricky or Challenging Behaviours (best for parents of children aged 2-8) - this usually involves 6-8 weekly sessions with parents to provide and think together about different tools to support emotional dysregulation, tricky or challenging behavior. The team talks through a few ideas per week to try out and make sure it is specific to your child and your situation.
*Sometimes the service includes children in sessions but mostly sessions run with parents to equip parents with tools to help their children with difficulties both now and in the future. Research shows for primary age sessions with parents are generally more effective.
You can self-apply for the service using their digital one page application form here: CWPs Primary -Parent Form for the Education Wellbeing Service Guided-Self Help Programme
You can also pick up a paper form from Alderbrook's main school office or email the team at: WandsworthWP@swlstg.nhs.uk
The team will then aim to contact you within a few weeks to arrange an initial call – usually over video call but this can also be face-to-face if you prefer. This will be to tell you more about the service, hear about your child – their strengths/interests and current challenges and make sure the service might be right for you (if not they will give ideas on other support available).
Our cognition curriculum
At Alderbrook we teach children about the brain and how it works to support them with their academic and metacognitive skills and for their social and emotional understanding
This is not required in the national curriculum but it is a key part of our ethos which centres around children feeling happy and safe in order to be ready for learning.
*At Alderbrook, Mrs Foulkes is a Mental Health Champion through Place2Be as well as the senior lead for mental health.
Miss Attwood is a trained adult mental health first aider.
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