Message from lead

Mrs Farrow

Our school motto is “Living and learning together” and this includes learning about ourselves and others. Over the course of their education, children spend over 7,800 hours at school. With such a huge amount of time spent in the classroom, Waycroft are committed to providing an ideal learning environment for promoting good emotional wellbeing and identifying early behaviour 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 wellbeing is a clear indicator of academic achievement, success and satisfaction in later life and Waycroft will endeavour to help every child achieve to their full potential.

We have recently been awarded the new Wellbeing Award for Schools which complements our passion for positive mental health and commitment to the wellbeing of our children, staff and stakeholders. This award recognises a school’s efforts to promote and protect positive emotional wellbeing and mental health education and support. We have developed an action plan to consciously recognise what we currently do and offer additional opportunities to support and promote mental health and wellbeing. At the beginning of the process we asked parents to complete a survey, with both children and staff completing one as well. This gave us a good foundation about our strengths and areas of development, which we have been working to improve. We have established a “Change Team”, which consists of children and myself to discuss and address areas in need. I am leading this ongoing process and would value some parental involvement to aid us in this process. If you would like to help us in any way or have some ideas on what could help the school and the community, please contact myself, or the appropriate member of staff, on the school number (0117 377 2198) or email the school on: info@waycroftacademy.com.

Statement of Intent

Waycroft Academy is committed to promoting and supporting positive mental health for our children, staff and volunteers. Positive mental health is integral to what we do here; underpinning the vital work we do to support children and their families.

Mrs Farrow is our School Mental Health Lead and is dedicated to the wellbeing and positive Mental Health of both children and staff.

Staff mental health and wellbeing should be, and is, of the utmost importance. We are making continual changes to our systems and processes to help secure positive mental health for our staff.

We do this by conducting an annual staff well being survey, creating action plans which incorporate staff suggestions, changing marking/email/communication etc. policies or procedures, encouraging all staff to notice when a colleague’s well being is under threat, encouraging good working practices and self-care to encourage an appropriate work-life balance for example encouraging staff to take breaks and to finish on time, having regular debriefs or supervision from colleagues or line managers when dealing with difficult situations, ensuring there is a school champion for staff well being, ensuring there are good training and development opportunities for staff etc.

If you wish to discuss any of the points above, make suggestions for improvements or discuss your own well being please come and speak to Mrs Farrow who can advise more on the support offered here at Waycroft Academy and guidance on additional external support.

Details on confidential external counselling is available through Zurich counselling services, a free 24 hour, telephone service and can be found here: https://www.zurich.co.uk/_/media/dbe/united-kingdom/docs/life/existing-customers/717188.pdf