Mental Health and Well-Being
At St Elphin’s, we believe that the mental health and emotional well-being of every child, member of staff, and our wider community is of the utmost importance. Rooted in our Christian vision, we are committed to creating a school where wellbeing is at the heart of all we do, ensuring that every individual can flourish and thrive.
We recognise that positive mental health is everyone’s responsibility and we are united in promoting, protecting and supporting the emotional 
well-being of our whole school community. Through a holistic and culturally competent approach, we aim to nurture resilience, self-worth, compassion, and lifelong coping skills in our pupils and staff.
Our whole-school commitment ensures that mental health and well-being are embedded across all aspects of school life. We foster an environment where every voice is valued, needs are understood, and support is accessible. We actively promote a positive culture around emotional well-being, with clear systems in place to respond appropriately to the wide range of mental health needs.
By placing well-being at the core of our policies, practices, and daily interactions, we create the conditions for successful learning, growth and flourishing. Together, we work in partnership to provide excellent mental health support, understanding, and intervention, enabling every member of our community to live life in all its fullness.
We are committed to supporting the mental health and well-being of every child. Our provision is carefully designed to meet a wide range of needs, offering support at different levels. This includes whole-school resilience education for all pupils, as well as more personalised 1:1 or small-group sessions led by trained staff when additional support is needed. Our aim is to ensure every child feels understood, supported, and able to thrive.
Meet Our Mental Health and Well-Being Team:
ELSA
An ELSA is an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant.
Mrs Parker is our school's ELSA.
ELSAs are wa
rm, kind and caring people who want to make children and young people feel happy in school and to reach their potential socially, emotionally and academically.
They support children’s emotional development and help them cope with life’s challenges. ELSAs will also help children and young people to find solutions to problems they might have. Relationships are key in helping children and young people to feel safe and nurtured. ELSA is about creating a reflective space for the child or young person. What areas does an ELSA help with;
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Loss and bereavement
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Self-esteem
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Social Skills
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Friendship issues
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Managing strong feelings
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Anxiety and worries
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Bullying
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Emotional Regulation
Mental Health Support Practitioner
Our Mental Health Support Practitioner is Rachel Ostick.
Our Mental Health Team Practitioner comes into school to offer support to some of our children. This is usually over a 6 week period and in a small group or 1:1. Similar to an ELSA, they offer support to children around; self-esteem and confidence, worries and anxiety, relationships and emotional regulation. Throughout the six weeks, they are in regular contact with our Mental Health Lead and parents to share how the sessions are going and discuss any additional, ongoing support that may be needed.
To find out more about the Mental Health Team please watch this video: Mental Health Support Team in Schools
Please take a look at the leaflet below for further information.
Children have weekly PSHE lessons delivered through the HeartSmart Programme. We have chosen this programme because of the emphasis it places on teaching children about the importance of good mental health. You can read more about this programme by clicking here:
Together in faith, we learn, we care, we serve, we share
Serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13)