‘Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.’ – MentalHealth.Gov

Being physically well is not just the absence of disease. It’s also about making lifestyle choices that ensure health, avoid preventable diseases and conditions, and that allow you to live in a balanced state of body, mind, and spirit.’ – NHS

At Langstone we develop children’s mental health by:

• Creating and applying consistent approaches, policies and behaviours that support positive mental health and wellbeing (MH&WB) and resilience, which everyone understands.
• Teaching MH&WB lessons as part of the PSHE curriculum including social and emotional skills.
• Helping children to develop social relationships, support each other and seek help when they need it.
• Bringing children and adults together in a way where everyone is respected, has a chance to talk without interruption, has an opportunity to be heard, work creatively towards a shared goal, feel safe enough to express both strengths and concerns through relational circles.
• Helping children to be resilient, reflective thinkers, take risks and to manage setbacks effectively through our ‘Langstone Learner Award’.
• Helping children to deal with differences by exploring how their choices affect others through relational practice.
• Providing targeted intervention when necessary e.g. small group and individual emotional support such as loss and bereavement support etc.
• Identifying children who have MH&WB challenges and planning support to meet their needs, including working with specialist services and working in specialist groups, such as MABS (Multi- agency behaviour support), MHST (Mental Health Support Team)
• Supporting and training staff to develop their skills and knowledge and their own resilience.
• Developing an open culture where it’s normal to talk about MH&WB.

We promote a mentally healthy environment through:

• Promoting our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging.
• Promoting pupil voice and opportunities to challenge and disagree respectfully and to participate in decision-making.
• Celebrating academic and non-academic achievements.
• Providing opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others.
• Teaching children the skills and strategies needed to reflect on the impact of their choices on themselves and others.
• Enabling access to appropriate support.
• Mental Health week and access to the most up to date information, initiatives and strategies as supported by mental health experts.

Workshops for parents and carers about how best to support and develop their child’s/children’s MH&WB.

Wellbeing is the state of feeling healthy and happy.

At Langstone, we ensure that children and staff are healthy and happy by:

• Providing regular opportunities, in addition to play times, for movement breaks through our ‘Langstone Laps’.
• Facilitating a range of lunch time and afterschool sports clubs.
• Hosting community events such as summer fayres and school discos.
• Mindful me: An online and after school provision for the children to engage in calming, mindful activities.
• Nurture support and pastoral care, provided by the designated Nurture Team: 1:1 and small group emotional literacy support work with your child. Helping them to create positive strategies and overcome the overwhelm of big emotions.
• Calm Café: Supporting staff to support the children.
• To use accessible language to describe complicated emotions and feelings by using language in the Mortal Fool’s production – Melva

Safeguarding is not just actively monitored at Langstone Junior Academy but taught to our children throughout various parts of the curriculum.

At Langstone we teach our children:

• To be mindful of their online presence by teaching e-safety and digital literacy in our computing curriculum.
• To be caring towards themselves and others though the ‘Health and \wellbeing’ part of the PSHE curriculum.
• To reflect on relationships at home and in school and consider what a healthy relationship might look like in our ‘Relationships’ part of the PSHE curriculum.
• To develop trust and the skills to communicate any issues or questions they may have about the world through our P4C approach to the curriculum.

At Langstone we teach our children: How to keep themselves mentally and physically healthy and safe. For more information about our approach to this, please see our ‘Learning and Behaviour’ policy.

Through our curriculum… We learn how to:

What Do These Terms Mean? 

• Equality: Making sure every child has the same chance to succeed, no matter their background, gender, race, ability, or beliefs. It’s about fairness and removing barriers so no one is treated unfairly. Equity means giving extra help to children who face bigger challenges, so everyone has a fair chance to succeed. 

• Diversity: Recognising and valuing the differences among children staff and  parents —such as culture, language, religion, abilities, and family backgrounds. These differences make our school community richer and more interesting. 

• Inclusion: Creating a school environment where every child feels welcome, respected, and able to take part fully in school life. Inclusion means listening to children’s ideas and making sure they feel safe and supported. 

Why is this important in Langstone? 

• It helps every child feel they belong and are valued. 

• It reduces bullying and discrimination. 

• It encourages children to learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives. 

• It prepares children for life in a diverse society. 

How does our school put this into practice? 

• Fair opportunities: Every child has access to learning, activities, and support. 

• Fair Support: Not one-size-fits-all. Children who need more help at certain points receive it, so everyone can succeed. 

• Celebrating differences: We teach about different cultures, languages, and traditions. 

• Pupil Voice: Children are encouraged to share ideas and concerns, knowing they will be heard. 

• Safe environment: Policies and staff training help prevent bullying and discrimination. 

• Focus on strengths, not weaknesses: Teachers look for what children can do and help them grow. 

• Strong Relationships: Trust between teachers, students, and families helps us understand each child’s needs. 

• We value all talents: Success isn’t just about test scores—creativity, problem-solving, and other skills matter too. 

• Work With Families: Parents and teachers share ideas to support learning. 

• Early Support: Help starts in the early years for long-term success.