“Mental Health is a state of well-being in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel and act”- World Health Organisation

At Tornedale we pride ourselves on being a positive inclusive community, committed to raising awareness and understanding of mental health and the all round development of our children. We support each other to be mentally healthy and resilient, so that we can each achieve our full potential. Throughout school, starting with our youngest children in Nursery we encourage a feeling of belonging and a real sense of community, within our classrooms and in school as a whole. We work hard to build relationships with our families, starting with home visits to new students and continued communication with families throughout the school year. We support all children to identify, name and explore a range of feelings in a safe and supportive environment, we explicitly teach strategies that will support children in beginning to regulate their feelings, with staff alongside to support them. These strategies are adopted by all members of staff in school, ensuring consistency throughout the school day. They are also taught through our school assemblies and integrated into our regular teaching day, so the messages are continually reinforced.

We are lucky to have highly trained and committed staff at Tornedale who are willing and ready to support your family. We have an excellent and very experienced SENCO, who works so hard to make excellent links to outside agencies, this ensures your child gets the best support possible as they move through our school. We also have staff members trained in Bereavement support and Mental Health First Aid. We provide mental health support for our staff and have a wellbeing charter and policy that further details the support we provide.

Our wish is for our children, staff and families to work together through challenges, to share celebrations, to feel supported, heard, accepted, valued and empowered.