Mental Health and Wellbeing

Rooted in Luke 10:27, our vision of loving God, loving others and valuing ourselves is evident throughout school life. Staff and children demonstrate kindness, respect, compassion and care in their daily interactions, creating a nurturing community where everyone feels known, valued and supported.

The impact of this vision can be seen in the strong relationships across the school, pupils' positive attitudes to learning and the sense of belonging experienced by both children and adults. Children are confident to share their views, seek support when needed and show empathy towards others. As a result, behaviour is positive, attendance is strong and pupils are increasingly resilient when facing challenges. Staff feel respected and valued, contributing to a culture of trust, collaboration and shared purpose.

Wellbeing is a key expression of our vision in action. Our wellbeing offer reflects our commitment to "love your neighbour as yourself" by providing a range of support for both children and staff through our wellbeing offer. This includes access to mental health first aiders, wellbeing interventions and pastoral support for pupils, alongside counselling, wellbeing champions, wellbeing surveys and supportive professional practices for staff.

The impact of this provision is significant. Pupils are better able to regulate their emotions, develop healthy relationships and engage positively with learning. They know that there are trusted adults who will listen and support them, which strengthens their sense of safety and belonging. Staff report feeling supported in managing workload and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, enabling them to flourish both professionally and personally.

Consequently, wellbeing is not viewed as a separate initiative but as a lived expression of our Christian vision. By placing love, dignity and care at the centre of school life, we enable every member of our community to flourish academically, emotionally, socially and spiritually, ensuring that Luke 10:27 is experienced daily through both our relationships and our wellbeing provision

Emotional Resilience

Emotional resilience is the ability to manage feelings and cope with day-to-day stresses as well as major life events. Deanery recognises that children will experience a range of feelings, both positive and negative, such as excitement, anticipation, frustration and disappointment. Our aim is to equip children with the necessary tools to deal with different experiences as they grow and develop and to prepare children to help them to feel good and function well. All staff are seeking to build upon pupil’s emotional resilience by providing opportunities in everyday learning to explore problem-solving activities, develop relationships with peers and take risks.

Working in Partnership with Compass

At Deanery Primary School, we are proud to work in partnership with Compass, a service dedicated to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of children, young people and families. Compass can offer advice, guidance and targeted support to help children thrive both at home and at school.

Families can access support through a referral, which can be discussed with a member of our school staff. We also regularly host Parent Coffee Sessions, where a range of local agencies and professionals attend. These informal drop-in events provide an opportunity for parents and carers to speak directly with experts, seek advice, and find out about the support available in the local community.

If you would like to know more about Compass or discuss a referral, please contact the school office or you can make a self-referral. Further details here: https://compass-uk.org/news/compass-birmingham-mhst/request-for-support-form/

See also the Jolly Jungle tab for our own in-house mentoring service.