Mental Health at Bocking
At Bocking Primary School, we recognise that mental health is a vital component of the overall wellbeing and development of every member of our school community—pupils and adults alike. We aim to create a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive both emotionally and academically.
Our approach to mental health is proactive and inclusive, ensuring that the emotional wellbeing of pupils is embedded within our school culture and curriculum. We understand that good mental health underpins successful learning and personal development, aligning closely with our vision to help children grow in confidence, become independent learners, and be proud of their achievements.
Central to our mental health provision is our dedicated Mental Health Lead, Mrs Aldous, who plays an outstanding role in championing the mental health and wellbeing of our school community. Mrs Aldous leads on initiatives that promote positive mental health, provides support and guidance to pupils and staff, and ensures that effective strategies are in place to identify and respond to mental health needs promptly and sensitively.
Our mental health support includes:
- Creating a calm, safe, and inclusive school environment that encourages mutual respect and emotional safety. Including Max our therapy dog who visits us to listen to the children read and our leadership roles; Children Wellbeing Ambassadors who support their peers in times of need during school break times.
- Delivering targeted programmes and activities that build resilience, self-esteem, and emotional literacy among pupils such as our Confidence group which is aimed at transition into secondary school and our Nurture group that develops positive pupil relationships with both teachers and peers in a supportive environment.
- Providing training and resources for staff to recognise mental health concerns and respond appropriately.
- Facilitating access to external specialist services such as MHST when needed, ensuring timely and effective support. This could be through 1-1 support or our regular coffee mornings.
- Promoting open conversations about mental health to reduce stigma and empower pupils and staff to seek help.