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Social, Emotional and Mental Health

At New Siblands School, social, emotional and mental health is embedded throughout our curriculum.

Across all 3 pathways, achievement, belonging and celebration, the emotional wellbeing of pupils is at the very heart of all learning. 

We are also very fortunate to have access to other services that also support our pupils' social, emotional and mental health through various interventions. 

The Jigsaw programme is used to teach PSHE and RSE at New Siblands School.

More information about Jigsaw and how it is taught in classrooms can be found by using the 'Also in this section' tab and clicking the 'Jigsaw - The mindful approach to PSHE' page.

The Senior Mental Health Lead at New Siblands is Krissy Emery.

You can find out more information in the boxes below regarding the key strands that are covered across all learning pathways, the interventions that are currently available and resources/information that may help parents/carers to support their child's emotional wellbeing.

 


New Siblands School was awarded the 'Mental Wellbeing Award' by Public Health, South Gloucestershire, in July 2020.

A flagship special school for promoting mental health and wellbeing alongside all the other brilliant work you do!

Mental Wellbeing Coordinator

Public Health, South Gloucestershire Council

 

For more information about what the Mental Wellbeing Award consists of, please click the button below -

 

 


 

Off The Record (OTR) Wellbeing Sessions

Off The Record, also known as OTR Bristol, is a local charity that has provided New Siblands with a qualified 'Wellbeing Practitioner' to help support our students that are potentially struggling with difficult thoughts and feelings.                 

 

This is Jacob Cunningham, New Siblands' very own 'Wellbeing Practioner' from Off The Record.

Here are a few words for our students from Jacob:

Hello, my name is Jacob and I'm a Wellbeing Practitioner from Off The Record.

"If you're feeling worried, anxious or stressed, or you find yourself feeling sad or low a lot of the time then I might be able to help! I will help you work out why you're struggling, and we can work together to find the right support for you, as we all need help now and then. I also use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT for short), which helps you understand the links between your thoughts, behaviours and feelings and how to make positive changes."

For more information on what services our Wellbeing Practitioner can provide for our students, please visit our 'Therapies, Interventions and External Professionals' page, or simply click the link below:

Therapies, Interventions and External Professionals

 

Feel Good Friday

Feel Good Friday is back!

 

What is 'Feel Good Friday'?

On Fridays, pupils based at our Secondary and Primary Wing site are provided with a choice of activities that enable them to access, learn and apply skills in the following ways:

• Learning and applying coping mechanisms relating to areas such as behaviour, anxiety and anger management.

• Practising mindfulness & relaxation techniques such as yoga, breathing techniques, mindfulness crafts and expressive art.

• Social/play and communication skills including conflict resolution, negotiation, initiating play.

How is 'Feel Good Friday' structured?

Our Fridays usually begin with our 'Good News Assembly'. Pupils and staff come together to build a strong and true sense of belonging across our school. This is a fantastic opportunity for both pupils and staff to reflect and celebrate many pupils' achievements throughout the week. 

Mindfulness and relaxation activities take place in classes throughout the morning up until lunch.

Following lunch, pupils are split between several different classes to complete activities they wouldn't always usually choose to take part in. 

Activities that have previously taken part during our Feel Good Friday sessions:

  • Junk Modelling
  • Yoga and Mindfulness Craft
  • TacPac
  • Sensory Music
  • Small World Play
  • Table Top Games
  • Parachute Games
  • Expressive Dance

 

Rainbow Time

                                                         

 

'Rainbow Time' takes place on our Primary site.

At the primary site, Rainbow Time is currently provided within our Covid-19 bubbles.

It is an opportunity for students to access highly personalised learning opportunities and interventions based on their sensory, communication or play needs and special interests. 

Rainbow Time is constantly reviewed by teachers and support staff in order to best meet the needs of the students.

There are a number of different interventions that run during Rainbow Time. These include, but are not limited to:

 

Sensory Food Group

This is a way for children who have sensory needs around food to explore new tastes and textures through structured play and creative activities. The aim is for children to explore new foods in a way that does not pressure them to eat it unless they want to.

 

Stage 4 Attention Autism

New Siblands School runs the Attention Autism (‘Bucket’) programme to support children’s attention and communication and turn taking skills. In stage 4, children are shown an activity which they are required to complete themselves independently.

 

Play skills/Imaginative play

In order to learn how to play and share with peers appropriately, play skills group enables adults to model specific games or activities and encourage children to play together. It also allows them to develop relationships with their peers and work on their social, emotional and mental health.

 

Music

Many of our children enjoy music and exploring sounds made by themselves or instruments. With key training from our speech and language therapist, children are given the opportunity to develop early communication skills through musical interaction.

 

We have seen a big impact on children’s progress in their individual needs through Rainbow Time, not just in the areas of their EHCPs but also their overall communication skills and their social, emotional and mental health too.

The Recovery Curriculum

What is the Recovery Curriculum?

During April 2020, a think piece titled ‘A Recovery Curriculum: Loss and Life for our children and schools post pandemic’ was published by Professor Barry Carpenter, CBE, Professor of Mental Health in Education and Matthew Carpenter, Principal, Baxter College.

You can find the Recovery Curriculum think piece here: https://www.evidenceforlearning.net/recoverycurriculum/

This is the time for the staff at New Siblands and the inspirational pupils that attend our school to co-construct a curriculum that in turn, restores the mental wealth in children throughout this recovery journey.

Please take a look at our Recovery Curriculum and please feel free to contact our Pupils' Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead, Krissy Emery, with any questions you may have regarding the changes we have made to best support our families during this very unusual and unpredictable time.

Krissy can be contacted via enquiries@newsiblands.org.uk