Well-being At The Berkeley Academy

Over the course of their education, children will spend over 7,800 hours at school.  With such a large amount of time spent at school, schools provide an ideal environment for promoting positive emotional wellbeing and are able to identify early behavioural changes and signs of mental distress. The social and emotional skills, knowledge and behaviours that young people learn in the classroom can help them to build resilience and set the pattern for how they will manage their mental health throughout their lives.  Emotional well-being is a clear indicator of academic achievement, success and satisfaction in later life. Evidence shows that mental health and well-being programmes in schools, can lead to significant improvements in children’s mental health, and social and emotional skills. Well-being provision in schools can also lead to reductions in classroom misbehaviour and bullying.

Part of The Berkeley Academy’s whole school vision and values is 'we care' and our vision focuses on advancing our children’s social, emotional and physical well-being.  At The Berkeley we take emotional health and mental well-being very seriously; one of our four curriculum drivers is 'Emotion Awareness'.

Every class provides a wide range of activities that promote emotional health and mental well-being including: The Berkeley mile, worry monsters/boxes, mindfulness activities, a calm corner.  Our ‘Chill Café’ lunch club also provides a nurturing environment for some children who may find lunchtimes a difficult time or may just need time to talk. We also have a well-being school council with representatives from various year groups.  Representatives meet once a term with Mrs Bateman and Mrs Chapleo to discuss well-being at our school. 

Some of our well-being council representatives

Interventions

We are very lucky to have a Learning Mentor- Mrs Chapleo.

She works with children either 1:1 or in small groups on:

Social Skills

Emotions

Bereavement

Social Stories

Anxiety

Anger Management

Self-Esteem

Relationships

Friendship issues

Focused Solution groups

Lego Therapy 

And of course, Friendship

The aim of these sessions is to remove the barriers to learning and help every child reach their potential so they can be happy at school and at home. To give children a safe place to talk and relax with an open door policy and to be able to build a relationship to help with transitions.

Mrs Chapleo’s role works alongside parents/carers to support children and families in all areas, offer advice and sign post parents to external agencies to offer further support.

Walter The Dog

Twice a week Walter the dog visits our school. We firmly believe that having a dog in school enhances and extends the children’s opportunities for learning – both academically and socially.

What are the benefits of a school dog?

 • A calming effect on pupils;

• Improved behaviour and concentration, reduced stress and improved self-esteem;

• Encouraging expression, participation and confidence for all children;

• Fostering a sense of responsibility;

• Motivating pupils to think and to learn, as most children have a high level of natural interest in, enthusiasm for and enjoyment of animals;

• Encouraging respect and thereby improving pupils’ relationships with each other, parents and teachers;

• Teaching children to nurture and respect life;

• Helping work undertaken with the most vulnerable children;

• Helping children build confidence in reading;

• Improving attendance;

• Further promote our ‘Well Being’ agenda for pupils.