Mental Health
Mr A Dale is our Mental Health Lead. If you have any concerns regarding your child's or your own mental health he can be contacted by email anthonydale@chalonerprimary.org
At Chaloner, we recognise the importance of looking after our own and others’ Mental Health. Most children and adults have many coping strategies when experiencing times of adverse emotions or stressful situations. However we also know that intervention can be needed as some children and adults struggle to self-regulate/ self-sooth so we provide the following support in school.
Abi works in our school for one day a week (usually Fridays) to support mental health needs for children and adults. Some examples are:
- Low mood
- Friendship issues or low self-image
- School anxiety or separation anxiety
- Difficult behaviour or poor conduct
Abbie also holds drop in sessions from 8.30am till 9.00am on Friday mornings for our parents, lunchtime for our children and after school for teachers to discuss concerns, about a child's mental health or their own.
Mental Health Ambassadors
Abi also trained our school Ambassadors in the older classes to be Mental Health Leads for the children at playtime and lunchtime.
We pay for counselling from Time 4 You and Kelly is our school counsellor.
She provides individual child therapy, counselling and therapeutic play. Her interventions help children manage an extensive range of emotional issues including:
Bereavement, domestic violence, family breakdown, early trauma, self-harm and stress.
When the counselling sessions are ending, Kelly will determine the success of the intervention or whether the child may need to be ‘getting more help’ which is a referral to the CAMHS service.
Also, through Time 4 You, Jess comes in every Friday and leads our Therapeutic Art Session. The children accessing this support love it.
The therapeutic nature of the creative sessions aims to help with emotional regulation, problem solving, gross and fine motor skills, confidence, focus, self-awareness and social interaction.
