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In-reach work
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Why think about ‘Wellbeing’?

Schools are responsible for identifying, supporting and developing mental wellbeing for their pupils. Every child should have access to mental wellbeing support within their school. Increasingly, this endeavour is acknowledged to be one of addressing whole school ethos, to ensure that it embodies and reflects core values that prioritise emotional, social, and physical health and wellbeing.

These values should be seen through the school culture, its curriculums and everyday teaching activities. It is seen in the relationships between stakeholders, where the many strengths, skills and potential of Governors, staff, pupils and parents are harnessed in a collective drive toward wellbeing. Moreover, that where there are specific concerns for an individual pupil’s wellbeing, asking for and receiving help is seen as normal, adaptive and a first step toward building skills in resilient and sustainable coping.

In developing Wellbeing initiatives, the provision of a team with the requisite skills and protected time to meet these responsibilities is nowhere more important than in a Special needs environment, when addressing the needs of those children who already face additional challenges and barriers to wellbeing, whether socio-economic, cognitive, developmental, physical or emotional.

In addition to all of our learners having an EHCP, we have a proportion of learners who are on pupil premium, looked after children, some needing access to extra provision which demonstrates that we are being responsive to need.

Core values and principles of the Bettridge approach to wellbeing:

• A belief that a pupil’s wellbeing is intrinsically linked to their chances of fulfilling their learning potential.
• Valuing individual differences and taking a broad and inclusive view of what it means to be successful and to make a meaningful contribution.
• Placing importance on the relationships between us, seeing this as central to our ability to support each other toward individual and shared achievements.
• Encouraging a student voice to shape our thinking, as a school, about what impacts pupils’ wellbeing and how their needs might best be met.
• To have a high expectation of ourselves and others’ behaviour, with respect, understanding and kindness at its core.

The Pastoral Support Team

We are a team of six, led by The Senior Assistant Head. Across the team we have skills and experience in:

• Developing PSHE curriculum through the school
• Leading on Behaviour Management
• Assessing and supporting children with emotional and social difficulties
• Screening and signposting for mental health concerns
• Thrive assessment and interventions
• Supporting off-site interventions

Examples of The Work of the Pastoral Support Team:

Whole School Initiatives.
Developing a dedicated Wellbeing space, a private but safe and calm environment where pupils can feel comfortable to explore sensitive and difficult ideas and feelings.
Building of resources to support Classroom based Wellbeing activities and the pastoral support work undertaken beyond the classroom with individual pupils.
Networking and establishing links with outside agencies, charities and organisations to develop an extensive programme of activity based interventions, mentorship initiatives and links to the Community.
Developing staff understanding of wellbeing and the building of skills through formal training activities, but also through the inclusion of classroom staff in the delivery of pastoral support activities with those skills and activities then being brought back to, and embedded in, the classroom.
Developing a shared language and a visual presence for Wellbeing throughout the school – posters, flash cards, with common signs and symbols to represent core Wellbeing values.
A programme of daily ‘classroom wellbeing activities’ based on the core tenets of the NHS 5 Steps to Wellbeing
Paying attention to the moment
Connect with other people
Be physically active
Learn new skills
Give to others
Developing programmes that support the PSED curriculum and compliment aspects of development in these areas.

Support to specific classes.

Observation of whole class interaction, thinking through how class group activities can be more responsive to individual pupils wellbeing needs and reflecting EHCP outcomes for emotional and social development.
Introducing Thrive activities into the classroom linked to highly specific developmental needs for individual pupils.
Providing a bank of mindfulness and well-being resources for class to timetable into their school day and use as a reset for some learners to be in a place ‘ready’ to learn.
Support of individual pupils with identified need and concerns for Wellbeing.

Assessment, including: discussion with class staff; discussion with individual pupil; behavioural observation; behavioural analysis; and formal Thrive Assessment.
Regular, individual sessions for emotional support, psycho-educative work and skills building. Specifically: helping pupils better understand their feelings and behaviours; identify the impact of their behaviours on themselves and others; developing a sense of accountability and responsibility; addressing barriers to change; and, building skills for the future.
Developing behavioural programmes / contracts for class management of challenging behaviours.
Group programmes, such as social skills development, mindfulness and relaxation.

Service Development:

Recent initiatives:
The setting up of regular meetings of the Pastoral Support Team and sharing actions to wider groups.
To develop and share a clear mission statement for the service.
• To identify referral criteria and a central point of referral to allow for better management of demand and allocation of particular across the team.
• Establish a more consistent procedure for reporting Pastoral Support Team involvement, reviewing progress and impact and record keeping.
Developing a format for recording type and amount of activity undertaken by the team.
To further develop an approach that allows for the development of packages of provision for those pupils with the greatest need and most complex presentations.
To consider the ways in which Pastoral Support activity can be evaluated with an emphasis on qualitative and quantitative measure, links to EHCP outcomes and how this might be shared with stakeholders (the relevance of changes to Sleuth and welfare reporting, tracking changes to behavioural or Psycho-Social baselines, EHCP targets met, feedback from invested parties e.g. pupils, staff, parents.
To undertake further training as needed.
Longer term goals.
Knowledge sharing and skills building with staff and other skateholders including parents
• Assessing and addressing staff emotional well-being in their work.
Achieving a Wellbeing award to celebrate what the school is doing to support our young learners.

In- reach offers

Out-reach offers

What stakeholders have had to say about our work:
“It’s really good to be able to come and talk. It has helped because you understand me, different to what my parents understand. I can talk about what’s going on and you get it” – Middle school child with identified social and emotional needs, seen twice weekly for individual Pastoral Support.

“It has been very helpful actually, the talking, helped my behaviour. Even when we just play it helps me, learning not to kick off”. Middle School Pupil with challenging behaviour, seen twice weekly for individual pastoral support.

“The pastoral support we have received for a specific student in our class over the past 12 months has been immeasurable. These sessions have allowed him to have 1:1 time with a member of staff outside the classroom, developing his ability to make, maintain and foster a positive, trusting relationship with a different adult. His self-confidence and his ability to notice and begin to express his emotions have been two of the key successes from these sessions.” Class teacher, primary school pupil identified as having challenging behaviour linked to difficulties in negotiating and trusting relationships within school.

“Over the last year The Pastoral Support Team have been able to offer a brilliant level of support to me in my class.
They have been able to develop meaningful relationships with pupils experiencing complex issues to help them work through difficulties and communicate their need for help within the classroom. This has been established through one-to-one sessions and excellent communication back to us in class.

The team have also been able to provide a huge amount of support through advice, literature and resources to ensure I, as class teacher, have a good understanding of the approach. This has given me the confidence to embed it, for the benefit of all pupils, into our class timetable.” Class teacher, Middle School.

Recovery Curriculum and Pastoral Support