Mental Health and Well-being
At Sacred Heart, we take mental health and well-being very seriously. Wellbeing and mental health in our pupils, staff and parents are at the forefront of our school’s vision of leading a mentally healthy school.
We are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff. We know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play.
We want to provide an effective and enjoyable teaching and learning environment, where children and young people flourish. We aim to promote the mental and physical health and emotional well-being for our staff, parents and pupils. Well-being is at the forefront of the school’s curriculum and promoting good mental health is a priority.
On this well-being page you will find a variety of services that offer support locally, nationally and online. Please see our page packed full of signposted services and resources for parents/carers.
Mrs Felgate is our Designated Mental Health Leader
Miss White is our Deputy Mental Health Leader
At Sacred Heart we:
- help children to understand their emotions and feelings better
- help children feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
- help children socially to form and maintain relationships
- promote self-esteem and ensure children know that they count
- encourage children to be confident and ‘dare to be different’
- help children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks.
We offer different levels of support:
Universal Support – To meet the needs of all our pupils through our overall ethos and our wider curriculum. For instance, developing resilience for all.
Additional support – For those who may have short-term needs and those who may have been made vulnerable by life experiences such as bereavement (See Rainbows programme).
Targeted support – For pupils who need more differentiated support and resources or specific targeted interventions such as wellbeing groups or personal mentors (See information about REACH/The Bungalow Project).
At our school, we are proud to use the myHappymind programme to support the mental health and wellbeing of all our pupils.
myHappymind is a whole-school programme grounded in science and dedicated to building positive mental wellbeing. It teaches children about how their brains work and gives them practical strategies to help them manage their emotions, build resilience and develop positive relationships.
Why We Use myHappymind
Children today face a wide range of pressures, and we believe that wellbeing is just as important as academic success. We use myHappymind because it:
Teaches children how their brain works in a simple, child-friendly way
Builds resilience, confidence and self-esteem
Supports emotional regulation and self-awareness
Encourages positive relationships and kindness
Embeds wellbeing into everyday school life
By helping children understand concepts such as stress responses and emotional regulation, we empower them with lifelong tools they can use both in school and beyond.
How It Works in School
The programme is delivered through engaging, age-appropriate lessons and activities. Children learn practical techniques such as breathing exercises and positive self-talk, which help them to:
- Feel calmer and more focused
- Manage big emotions
- Develop a growth mindset
- Improve concentration and readiness to learn
Wellbeing becomes part of our school culture, not just a one-off lesson.
Supporting Families at Home – The Parent App
We also provide access to the myHappymind Parent App, which allows families to reinforce learning at home. The app includes:
- Short videos explaining what children are learning in school
- Practical activities to complete together
- Breathing exercises and calming strategies
- Guidance to help parents support emotional development
This partnership between school and home ensures children receive consistent messages and strategies, strengthening the impact of the programme.
Please click on the link to watch an introductory video.
https://myhappymind.lpages.co/
The Impact
Through myHappymind, we are helping our pupils to become:
- Confident communicators
- Emotionally aware individuals
- Resilient learners
- Kind and empathetic friends
By prioritising mental wellbeing, we are equipping our children not just for success in school — but for success in life.
We are proud to announce that we are a myHappymind Bronze Accredited school!
This means that as a school we consider the mental health and wellbeing of our children as one of our top priorities. We have created a whole school culture that helps build our children’s resilience, confidence and self esteem as well as teaching them how to self regulate in those stressful times.
This Accreditation badge has been awarded thanks to all the effort our staff, children, governors and parents have put in to bring the lessons of myHappymind to life all around our school!
To Learn more about the myHappymind for Schools programme visit their website here – https://myhappymind.org/
If you would like more information about the programme or guidance on accessing the Parent App, please contact the school office.
Outside Agencies:
Stress, worries and pressures at school can have a huge impact on your life. ‘Schools in Mind’ or REACH are there to help. They can offer emotional support to any child attending any school in Middlesbrough.
They offer one-to-one sessions as well as group work. Their work is aimed at young people at risk of emotional or mental health difficulties and those with existing mild to moderate difficulties. This is delivered through group work and emotional support.
They also provide group work which focuses on raising awareness of emotional well-being, building resilience and teaching coping strategies, including working on issues such as confidence and self-esteem, stress, anxiety, low mood and anger.
The Bungalow Partnership is a Teesside based Charity supporting the Emotional Wellbeing of local children, young people and families. They do this by providing parenting, mentoring and therapeutic support aimed at improving the emotional wellbeing of local people and supporting families to enjoy positive relationships with each other. The therapists within The Bungalow Partnership have a wide range of experience and specialisms. We work across Tees Valley supporting children and families impacted by loss, divorce and separation, bereavement, autism, attachment/ relational difficulties, those displaying behavioural or emotional responses to their environment, those who have been displaced from their own country of origin, those impacted by trauma, those with poor communication skills, families impacted by domestic violence, physical abuse, sexual abuse and/or sexually harmful behaviours.
We all have times when we have low Mental Wellbeing, where we feel stressed, upset or find it difficult to cope.
There are some common life events that may affect you or your child’s Mental Wellbeing:
- Loss or bereavement.
- Relationship problems.
- Issues at school.
- Worries about money.
Everyone deserves to feel good and there are steps you or your child can take to maintain and improve your Mental Wellbeing:
- Build positive relationships.
- Take time for yourself.
- Look after your mental health.
- Look after your physical health.
What can your child can do in school to gain Mental Wellbeing?
- Be open and talk about your feelings with your friends.
- Associate yourself with positive people.
- Join an afterschool club.
- Speak to a member of staff.
- Get physically active (a Health body and mind are closely linked).
Rainbows Support Programme
We run this programme in school using trained teachers who are able to offer support for small groups of children who have experienced a significant loss in their lives. This may be due to the death of a loved one, or family breakdown/separation.
This programme helps children cope with their grief and feel less alone.
Why this is needed
Sadly, one out of every 29 school children have been bereaved of a parent or sibling. That is one in every classroom. Incidences of divorce and separation impacting on children are even higher. As a result, many children feel sad, anxious and alone.
Without support, bereavement and loss can cause children to become increasingly isolated and lead to more serious mental health issues developing. Children’s ability to engage with learning and achieve at school can also be affected.
How Rainbows can help
Rainbows gives children the opportunity to talk about their feelings with peers in a safe and nurturing environment. This helps them to feel less alone with their grief and to understand there are others who are going through similar experiences. As a result, pupils’ self-esteem and confidence grows and they are in a far stronger position to engage with school life and achieve their full potential.
Useful Websites
https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/?scrlybrkr=dbe31a2c
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/
http://bereavement.lgfl.org.uk/
CAMHS resources
A really helpful website which includes, downloadable self-help activities, information guides, videos and more.
https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/
