Mental Health & Wellbeing

Hujjat Primary School has a whole school approach to mental health and well being and as part of this delivers high quality, nurturing provision that focuses on developing the whole child. 

The emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults. At Hujjat Primary School, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils, staff, parents and carers. We know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and, at times, anyone may need additional emotional support.

All children can experience ups and downs in their life and some unfortunately have to face significant life events which will affect their mental health and wellbeing.  In 2017, about 1 in 10 children aged between 5 and 16 had a diagnosable mental health need.  This can have a huge impact on the child’s experience of life, their relationships and their achievements at school.  To this end, the Department of Education acknowledges that “in order for children to succeed, schools have a role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy”. 

At our school we:

• encourage children to reflect on the school values to support their mental health and wellbeing
• help children to understand their emotions and feelings better
• help children feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
• help children socially to form and maintain relationships
• promote self-esteem and ensure children know that they count
• help children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks 

To support this, we have a school therapist and mental health and wellbeing champions (the DSL/SENDCo and DDSL) who the children can access in times of need.   As an integrated part of the learning support team within Hujjat, the aim is to work with children and their families to help them manage times of change or difficulty, and that they are supported to reach their potential or access support when they need it. They also work to ensure that children learn how to maintain positive mental health, understand what can affect their mental health, how they can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and where they can go if they need help and support.

Some of the issues a child may experience which become a barrier to their learning could include:

• Anxiety, worries and low mood
• Difficulties at home
• Behaviour
• Issues concerning bullying/friendships/social anxieties
• Dealing with bereavement/loss 
• General disaffection and disengagement from learning 
• Worries about transferring from primary to high school 
• Difficulties with organisation

Early intervention for young people with emotional, behavioural or social difficulties can help prevent mental health problems becoming more serious in the future or developing in the first place.

We all have mental health. Mental health is about our feelings, our thoughts, our emotions and our moods.

We all have a range of feelings everyday and our moods fluctuate and change all the time.  Feelings can be happy or sad and can be very strong or feel overwhelming, but usually tend to pass before too long.

Sometimes we might experience very big or overwhelming feelings which affect our daily lives and stop us from doing or enjoying things that we would normally do. This is the time we might need some help or support.

• Good thinking: Mental health resources for Londoners supported by the NHS, GLA and Public Health England    
• 5 steps to mental wellbeing: hints from the NHS to help you feel more positive.
• ACAS:  gives employees and employers free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice
• Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust: information for carers. Caring responsibilities can be stressful and negatively impact a carers’ own health and wellbeing
• Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust Recovery   College: a range of educational courses, workshops and resources free to people who use Central and North West London NHS Foundation services, their supporters, friends, family, carers and staff.  Free to people who have been discharged from the Trust’s services within the last 12 months
• Debt advice: no matter how desperate things seem, there are ways to manage your debts
• Harrow CAMHS: provides community mental health services to children and young people up to the age of 18 with complex mental health difficulties, and their families
• Harrow Horizons: a targeted mental health and wellbeing service for children and young people delivered throughout the community of Harrow
• Harrow Talking Therapies: a range of Talking Therapies in Harrow for people who feel anxious and worried or down and depressed
• Keeping well: an online resource for health and care staff
• Kooth: an online mental wellbeing community for young people
• Mental Health Foundation: anyone can follow this advice, which is free
• Mental health helpline and websites: collected resource guide from the NHS showing contact details for a range of charities and support groups
• Mind in Harrow Mental  Health Information Directory: a directory contains listings  for organisations and services that can help people in Harrow with many mental health and related issues
• More steps to wellbeing: suggestions from Mind to help your mental health and wellbeing
• Need to Talk: counselling services in Harrow. Funded by the National Lottery, the charity offers a non-judgemental, understanding and safe place where concerns and issues can be worked on and explored by a fully qualified counsellor on a one-to-one basis
• NHS Every Mind Matters: General mental health support and specific help for those anxious about coronavirus and its effects
• NHS mindfulness resources: Reconnecting with the world around us and improving awareness of our own bodies can help with a variety of mental health issues
• Young Harrow Foundation: a membership organisation that supports voluntary organisations delivering services and activities for children and young people in Harrow