At Inglehurst Infant School, we are committed to promoting and supporting the positive physical health, emotional health, and mental health and wellbeing of our school community. 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 have a role to play.
Mental health problems affect about 1 in 10 children and young people. They include depression, anxiety and are a direct response to what is happening in their lives. We believe that good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with different aspects of life and to grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.
Most children grow up mentally healthy, but research suggests that more children and young people have problems with their mental health today than 30 years ago. That’s probably because of changes in the way we live now and how that affects the experience of growing up.
Most things that happen to children don’t lead to mental health problems on their own, but traumatic events can trigger problems for children and young people who are already vulnerable. Changes often act as triggers: moving home or school or the birth of a new brother or sister, for example. Some children who start school feel excited about making new friends and doing new activities, but there may also be some who feel anxious about entering a new environment.
The last couple of years have left us in a period of huge change, and this has understandably made everyone's mental health a higher priority.
If you would like more information on our school’s mental health offer, please look at the SEMH page of the school's Early Help offer below.
Key Mental Health and Wellbeing staff
Mrs Rayner, the school's Inclusion Manager, is also the school's Senior Mental Health Lead. She is responsible for the auditing and delivery of the mental health and wellbeing provision of the school community (pupils, families and staff), alongside the school governors.
Inglehurst Infant School have recently partnered with the NHS Mental Health in Schools Team. Kavita Sarana is our school’s Education Mental Health Practitioner (EHMP) who works alongside the school staff to promote good mental wellbeing and provide guided self-help therapy skills to those referred pupils, aged 6 and over, who would benefit from it. All direct work would require the child to be accompanied by a parent/carer. This mental health support is available for those pupils currently not accessing support from another medical professional.
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