Mental Health and Wellbeing
Welcome to our Wellbeing Page!
We are committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of pupils, staff, and parents. Our Mental Health Lead is Mrs Grattan and can be contacted via the school office.
Our pupils are encouraged to make the most of their time at Higham Primary School, so every effort is made to remove obstacles to successful learning and equip our pupils with the confidence and skills to be enthusiastic and engaged in their learning.
We aim to:
- provide an environment which will support the emotional health and well-being of all our pupils;
- support and empower families who are experiencing challenges;
- meet the differing needs of all our children so that each unique child is equipped with life-long skills;
- help our pupils develop empathy for social, spiritual, emotional and physical needs within the school;
- maintain an atmosphere in which pupils feel secure, are encouraged in their learning, growth and social development and know that they are valued within a healthy and safe environment;
- model for parents/carers that their children are being educated in a safe and nurturing environment;
- motivate pupils to recognise and reflect upon our core values -
Respect, Responsibility, Teamwork, Kindness, Perseverance and Creativity;
- promote positive relationships with parents/carers through good communication and interaction;
- work with a range of parents, support staff and other schools to ensure the best outcomes for every pupil.
Spotlight on the Anna Freud Centre
At Higham, we know that children’s mental health and wellbeing are just as important as their learning. The Anna Freud Centre is a national charity that supports children, young people, and families with mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Their website is full of practical advice, videos, and free resources to help families understand and support their child’s mental health. From managing worries and building resilience, to guidance on sleep, friendships, and transitions — it’s all written in clear, parent-friendly language.
The Centre also provides professional training, research, and school support to help teachers and parents work together to create a positive environment for every child.
If you’d like to explore their resources or find support, visit www.annafreud.org — it’s a safe and trusted place for anyone who wants to understand more about children’s mental health.
Nip in the Bud – Films for Parents and Carers
Nip in the Bud offers a series of short, clear films to help parents and carers understand children’s mental health. Each film focuses on a different topic — such as anxiety, ADHD, or low mood — and gives simple advice on recognising signs early and how to offer support at home.
You can watch all the films for free at nipinthebud.org/films-for-parents-carers.
Staff and governor well-being is of the greatest importance to the school too.
Here at Higham Primary School, we have started on the journey of promoting and advocating a healthier workplace and last year was awarded the Bronze Award from the Kent and Medway Healthy Workplaces Programme and we have now gained our Silver award.
The programme is designed to focus on staffs wellbeing, whether it is mental health, nutritional or lifestyle support and is designed to help employers open the door of communication and be proactive in their staffs wellbeing. We decided to sign up to ensure that we do what we can to make sure our team are supported in the right way.
The Bronze level indicates that we have all the building blocks in place to embed a healthy workplace, and to achieve this level we have had to submit evidence of things like risk assessments, our health and safety policy, staff questionnaires etc.
There are three further levels of award that can be achieved, which are Silver (awarded 6th March 2023), Gold and Platinum which we look forward to reaching.
Our Bronze and Silver certificates are proudly displayed in the schools reception area but please know that our commitment extends beyond putting a certificate on the wall and we genuinely care that our team feel looked after and valued.
Links
If you have any concerns about a child's safety or you are a child and need advice please visit the links below:
Childline telephone number: 0800 1111