Positive Mental Health:

“…. a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”. This definition from the World Health Organization suggests that good mental health is not simply the absence of illness but the ability to thrive.

Welcome to our Emotional Wellbeing Area

We aim to promote and support children’s positive mental health by offering information and advice for our parents and our pupils, signposts to further specialist agencies and some suggestions for activities which develop emotional literacy, with a strong focus on social and emotional aspects of learning. These include self-awareness, managing feelings, motivation, empathy and social skills.

Please keep checking into this area, as we regularly edit and adapt these sections, adding suggestions and resources as needs may change.

Which key factors are known to underpin emotional wellbeing?

At Woodlands Primary School, we aim to explore, encourage and nurture:

• self-efficacy: after feelings of a loss of control, we want the children to feel valued, and that what they say and do matters, that their actions can make a difference, and that they have strengths they can draw on. This core self-belief underpins motivation and emotional wellbeing.

The Motivation Mystery Think Piece: explores “What if we could tap into a child’s inner desire to learn? How could a parent promote learning when their child appears disinterested and unengaged? How could using coaching of self-efficacy, increase internal motivation to learn?”

• hope: which significantly and positively correlates with psychological well-being and coping in the face of adversity as well as being related to better adjustment.

• gratitude: taking time to appreciate others and to feel thankful has been found to have physical and psychological benefits. It is also known as a “social glue” that connects people.

• connectedness: social support has a central importance in combating stress and overcoming adversity. We want to create and allow opportunities for the children to re-connect with each other, to co-operate and work as a team, and re-build feelings of togetherness, belonging and community collaboration.

…because they have an evidence-based foundation in positive psychology and tie in strongly with our school values and ethos.