My Happy Mind
We are proud to be a part of the myHappymind Family!
As a whole school program grounded in science and dedicated to building positive mental wellbeing, myHappymind helps children understand how their brains work and creates a culture that helps to build children's resilience, confidence, and self-esteem. myHappymind also teaches the children how to self-regulate and manage their emotions in stressful times, allowing them to be their very best selves!
Learn more here: https://myhappymind.org/
myHappymind Module Descriptions
- Meet Your Brain: Understanding how your brain works and how to ensure we look after it so that we can manage our emotions and be at
our best. Growth mindset is a key part of this too. - Celebrate: Understanding your unique character strengths and learning to celebrate them. This is a fantastic module for building self-
esteem. - Appreciate: Understanding why gratitude matters and how you can develop gratitude as a habit. Gratitude is key to well-being and
resilience and we're all about making it a habit! - Relate: Understanding why positive relationships matter and how to build them. We're focussed on the building blocks of good relationships
and friendships. - Engage: Understanding how to set meaningful goals that matter and how to keep resilient in times of challenge. This module is all about
building self-esteem and resilience too.
The programme is used from Nursery to Year 6 at All Saints and not used only by those at the point of need. The fun, engaging and proactive programme has been designed to provide each child with a toolkit of skills and habits they can use when they face tough times in the future, rather than wait until they are struggling before being taught coping strategies.
The programme is holistic in nature. There is a parenting app which is a strong bridge between school and home meaning parents can also understand, implement and encourage the techniques taught in school at home too.
The children engage in 'happy breathing' daily to help focus their mind ahead of learning.
All Saints have been awarded a Bronze Accreditation for My Happy Minds and are currently working towards the Gold Award.
'Implementing the My Happy Minds programme at the school has been great. I think it really encourages the kids to pay attention to how they think, feel and engage. As a parent, I have noticed my kids refer to their brain and how it processes their thoughts and helps them take action. My favourite thing about the my happy minds scheme are the breathing exercises, my kids enjoy doing this in class and it’s something they also get to practice at home. Having access to the parent app also helps to keep up the activities the kids practice at school. Overall I think it’s a great tool for their mental health and well being!' (Parent of Year 1 twins at All Saints).
Zumos
Zumos's focus is 'how to feel happy'. Zumos supports children to feel happy, strong, confident and to build resilience. The programme was developed by psychotherapists, doctors, counsellors. The hope is that over a period of time, children will see that their 'happiness score' rise as a result of partaking in the activities within their own secure individual online space.
Children are encouraged to 'rate their mood' as they arrive at school. Children who have rated their mood as 'bad' first thing in the morning are spoken to by an adult to explore what is going on for them.
Another main feature used is the 'online worry box'. Children are able to post their worries that will then (only) be seen by their class teacher, the Family and Pastoral Support Officer and Headteacher. This is checked daily. Any of these adults can respond to the worry online, sending a reassuring message instantly. The adults can also send a range of age and worry appropriate videos to the child's individual toolbox to be viewed later on.
Each child has their own online 'chill room' that encourages mindfulness activities such as breathing exercises etc.
MHST
All Saints work in collaboration with our local Mental Health Support Team (MHST) who are an early Intervention service prior to CAMHS involvement. Our Family and Pastoral Support Officer has a half termly consultation with our allocated team within the service to discuss any children who need support or are struggling for numerous reasons, identified by the child themselves, parents, teachers or as a result of a specific incident. Following a consultation, the team may be able to offer 1-1 support with children or parents directly. The team also signposts to relevant agencies and organisations if it does not fall under their threshold or remit. The team have worked with numerous families here at All Saints already in the last two years to support phobias, worry management, anxiety, sleep issues to name a few.
If you have any concerns regarding your child's mental health, please speak to Mrs Lovell.
TaMHS (Targeted Mental Health in Schools)
At All Saints CEVA Primary School we hold the SILVER Accreditation Mark awarded by the TaMHS Programme
The TaMHS Accreditation Scheme provides primary schools and secondary schools in Northamptonshire with an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to meeting the mental health needs of their pupils through:
- Promoting children’s mental health
- Delivering interventions for children’s mental health
- Embedding best practice for children’s mental health, as summarised in the ‘Building-Blocks of Provision for Building Mentally Healthy Schools in Northamptonshire’ model.
For further advice and information about mental health in Northamptonshire please click on the link to be directed to the ASK NORMEN website
