At Nechells we have our own purpose-built space called ‘The Sanctuary’ where pupils go to take part in a range of activities and groups to support and develop their mental health. It is a space that our trained adults can use to deliver the programmes we have deliberately invested in below.
A trauma informed school:
Going through very stressful, frightening or distressing events can cause long-lasting harm.
By taking the decision to become a ‘trauma informed school’, we are able to support our most vulnerable children, especially those whose troubled behaviours act as a barrier to learning.
Our emotional literacy programme:
Children with gaps in their emotional literacy can mean they sometimes have trouble articulating and recognising their feelings. With a trained member of staff as an emotional literacy support assistant, we can deliver interventions to children who may benefit from this support.
Emotion coaches:
We have trained six staff members as emotion coaches. Whilst support is targeted at children who don’t always recognise their own emotions, our coaches are able to help all our children to manage their stress responses.
Our relationships and recovery curriculum:
Our relationships and recovery curriculum recognised our children’s experiences as a result of Covid-19 and Lockdown and continues to support them to re-establish and learn new ways of living and learning.
Mental health first aid:
We have trained all our staff as youth mental health first aiders so we can recognise the early warning signs of mental health problems.
