Mental Health and Wellbeing Provision

At Holsworthy C of E Primary School, we are committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing and mental health of all our children. As part of this commitment, we have a clear tiered approach to mental‑health support in school. This helps us ensure that the right support is offered at the right time, that interventions remain purposeful and time‑bound, and that we can meet the needs of as many children as possible.

Supporting children’s wellbeing starts with our whole‑school culture. Alongside our targeted support systems, all pupils benefit from a rich, proactive offer designed to build emotional resilience, emotional literacy and strong relationships. This includes:

  • Our school values and Christian ethos, which promote kindness, compassion, respect and a sense of belonging.
  • Wellbeing and mental‑health learning through our PSHE curriculum, where children develop strategies for understanding and managing feelings, building healthy relationships and staying safe.
  • Daily relational practice, such as check‑ins, restorative conversations and positive behaviour approaches.
  • Whole‑school assemblies and class workshops delivered in house and by the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), who recently led an assembly for all pupils and will continue to support our whole‑school learning.
  • Future MHST parent workshops, which will offer guidance and practical strategies for supporting children’s mental health at home. More information about these sessions will follow shortly.
  • Daily sessions teaching our behaviour curriculum

These universal approaches help us to create a safe, nurturing environment where mental health is prioritised for every child, every day.

Our Tiered In-School Support Offer

Relational Check Ins

Mentoring

School-Based Counselling

These brief, supportive interactions help maintain emotional security, support ongoing wellbeing and enable early identification of any concerns.

For children who may not require counselling but who would benefit from focused emotional support, we offer half-termly mentoring blocks with our trained teaching assistants. These blocks are goal‑driven, time‑limited and planned based on needs identified by parents/carers, class teacher and the SENDCo.

 

At the end of a mentoring block, the mentor reviews progress and considers whether:

 

– no further support is required

–  regular relational check‑ins would be beneficial or

–  a higher level of support is appropriate

We have a very limited number of counselling spaces for children with the highest level of need. These weekly sessions are delivered by our BACP‑registered school counsellor, Mrs Berry.

 

Counselling offers a confidential, therapeutic space for children and is delivered in blocks of up to 8 sessions, with reviews at weeks 4 and 6. Further information about how counselling works and how confidentiality is managed will be provided to families when a place is offered.

External Support: Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

For some children, additional support beyond school may be appropriate. We can refer to the Mental Health Support Team (MHST), an NHS service who support children and families with areas such as anxiety, low mood and emotional regulation.

More information is available here:

https://childrenandfamilyhealthdevon.nhs.uk/our-pathways/mental-health-support-team/

Please note that MHST cannot work alongside other therapeutic interventions, including our school‑based counselling, so we will always work with families to identify the most appropriate pathway.

Working with Health Professionals

We always encourage parents and carers to discuss any significant concerns about their child’s mental health with their GP, as school‑based support does not replace medical involvement.

For children with more complex or persistent needs, a CAMHS referral may be recommended. We can work with families to help gather information to support this process.

Our intention is to offer a clear, fair and effective system that supports children’s mental health while ensuring our resources reach those who need them most. If you have any questions about this structure, or if you have concerns about your child’s wellbeing, please speak to your child’s class teacher or contact the SENDCo (Vikki Moore).