Wellbeing
Greenvale School has achieved the Wellbeing Award for Schools.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel and act. It helps to determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. We provide a caring, supporting environment in which every individual is valued and respected. We believe that students, staff and parents/carers need the skills to manage the challenge life brings us by developing resilience and having a positive mental health. This does not mean not having any problems, but developing awareness of ourselves and the ability to cope with difficulties faced. Everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable. At times, anyone may need additional support to manage and deal with these situations.
5 areas of well-being
Evidence suggests there are five steps we can all take to improve our mental wellbeing. If you give them a try, you may feel happier, more positive and able to get the most from life.
Connect – connect with the people around you: your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Spend time developing these relationships. Building solid and varied social connections in your life can increase your feelings of happiness and self-worth.
Be active – you don't have to go to the gym. Take a walk, go cycling or play a game of football. Find an activity that you enjoy and make it a part of your life.
Keep learning – learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence. So why not sign up for that cooking course, start learning to play a musical instrument, or figure out how to fix your bike?
Help others – even the smallest act can count, whether it's a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Giving a mate a hand, helping a cause that matters to you or just supporting other people in some way. Giving is like gold-dust for our mental wellbeing.
Take Notice – be more aware of the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you. Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.
Students
For students with learning difficulties, symptoms may present themselves differently, for example a change in behaviour. Self-harm can also occur as a result of a young person trying to meet a sensory need, and support can be offered to help them develop strategies to learn how to self-regulate.
- Pastoral support for students is provided by the class team, with support from the 4 Key Stage coordinators.
- Students participate in daily mindfulness, where they are encouraged to sit calmly and relax.
- Students social, emotional and mental health needs are embedded throughout the curriculum.
- Greenvale is a 'healthy school'. Fruit is provided for students both in their morning and afternoon break time. Squash and water are also provided. Lunches are cooked on site with choice of 2 hot meals for students. There is salad bar and fruit options for pudding.
- Students have a break of 15 minutes where they can go outside and use sports equipment for example fixed bikes and floor trampolines. The students have an hour and 15 minutes for lunch.
- Students have PE once a week. Students who use wheelchairs are offered a change of seating everyday e.g. standing frame, hydro, physio.
- There are a variety of sport enrichment activities for example swimming, cycling at Herne Hill velodrome and trampolining.
- Greenvale also hosts a Child and Mental Health (CaMHs) clinic on a monthly basis.
Staff
The well-being of staff is very important at Greenvale, as if staff are happy and resilient they are best able to support our students. There are also a variety of things in place to support staff well-being including staff clubs and access to an employee assistance programme. In addition, Lewisham employees can get discounts at local leisure centre, and have access to other benefits such as a bike loan.
Every half-term the Wellbeing Committee meet to discuss staff and student wellbeing. The committee is comprised of a range of teaching and support staff who work collaboratively towards revising provision and the continual improvement of wellbeing for both staff and students.
Parent/Carers
For any parents/careers who need further support or guidance, the key stage coordinator can signpost to other organisations.
KS3 – Jennie Marzetti
KS4 – George Gill (Senior Mental Health Lead)
KS5 – Emily Garside
Glade (High Needs) – Lina Avila
Further information and resources
For more information and resources about wellbeing, please see links below:
Signposts and Services
If you, or someone you know, is experiencing a mental health crisis:
- Call your GP or 111 (999 in an emergency)
- Call The Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK only) or email, jo@samaritans.org
- Call your local Community Mental Health Team in Bromley, Lewisham or Greenwich
- Go to your nearest NHS hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.
Mind – provides a range of local and national services to support mental health including counselling and therapies.
01689 811222
SANEline - If you're experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) - You can call CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk. Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service. https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
Switchboard - If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service. Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.
Lewisham Local Offer
There is a range of services available in Lewisham to support children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities. This is known as the local offer.
http://www.lewishamlocaloffer.org.uk/
Lewisham Special Educational Needs
Kaleidoscope Child Development Centre
32 Rushey Green
SE6 4JF
Tel: 020 3049 1475
Email: sen@lewisham.gov.uk
CONTACT
Contact provides support, advice and information for families with disabled children, no matter what their condition or disability. Call 020 8297 8056 or email lewisham.office@contact.org.uk
The Lewisham SEND Information & Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) can help to provide advice, information and support on all SEND matters. They offer monthly independent support drop-ins for families who have children and young people with SEN and/or Disability of all ages.
T: 0203 319 2163
W: http://www.kids.org.uk/lewisham-sendiass
ADVISING LONDON
Do you need advice with debt, housing immigration or need to make a benefit claim?
Pre-booked appointments available call 020 8613 0172
BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT DROP-IN
A friendly welcome provided by midwives and trained peer supporters. The sessions can support mums with positioning, attachment, sore nipples, mastitis, hungry babies, milk flow, and returning to work or just a friendly place to come and socialise.
CHILD COMMUNITY WEIGH-IN CLINIC
Drop-in to your local community clinic to weigh your child and seek advice from a health visitor about your child’s development.
CHILD HEALTH REVIEWS
7-11 month and 2-year child development reviews with your child’s health visitor.
CLOTHING BANK
Free clothing for children under 5 years, accessible to families who have no recourse to public funds or who are facing hardship.
DOWNS FRIENDSHIP & CREATIVITY GROUP
A monthly group that provides support and activities for parents of children who have Downs Syndrome of all ages.
Call Annee for dates 07930 393942.
‘MY SUPERPOWER’
Coffee morning for Parents of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Social & Communication Needs.
MIDWIVES CLINICS
Three midwifery teams run daily community clinics within our centres.
Contact your Midwife for an appointment.
PARENT SUPPORT COUNSELLING (PSG)
PSG strives to support you during challenging times, through 1:1 counselling sessions.
Booking required call 07908 101767
PECAN
Working with families to support parents into employment.
BABY HUBS
Drop-in to your local Baby Hub to weigh your child, seek advice from a Health Visitor about your child’s development and stay and play.
DROP-IN SUPPORT AND ADVICE SESSION
Support and advice from a Family Support Worker at Downderry Children and Family Centre.