Happy children learn. A good state of wellbeing is therefore an essential ingredient in academic success.
Mrs McConnell Smith is our trained and designated Senior Mental Health Lead. She can be contacted on: senco@whitehill.herts.sch.uk or by calling the school office.
This page of our website is used to provide useful information about how we support wellbeing at Whitehill, including resources and links on wellbeing which parents might find helpful at home.
All pupils in our school community:
Pupils at both Highbury and Whitehill are introduced to and encouraged to use the Zones of Regulation to help them recognise and respond appropriately and sensitively to their own feelings.
This is complemented and supported by the strategies from the “5 ways to Wellbeing” (or the “Feelgood Fingers” for those of you who have just moved up from Highbury)
The ability to recognise how we are feeling and what, if anything, we could or should do to respond to this is an important step for all of us in staying mentally healthy.
Do ask your children to tell you about the Zones of Regulation and how they are using this in their class. Remember, there are no bad or wrong feelings, but there can be choices to make about how we respond to them.
Each class has one or two “Wellbeing Warriors” who help staff to support other pupils and spot areas for wellbeing development through the year. They promote healthy mindsets and help plan our annual wellbeing week in the Spring term. You can spot them by their rainbow lanyards!
The Zones of Regulation is a useful accessible approach for parents at home too, which you might like to try.
Children and adults at Whitehill are encouraged to spot and reward kindness. It is a core value for us at school and rewarded with our bespoke “Caught Being Kind” stickers. We celebrate this show of kindness and thoughtful behaviour on a Friday at our Achievers’ Assembly.
Whitehill has a “worry box” where children can post any worries they may have. These worries can be named or un-named, depending upon whether they would like someone to check in on them. In the spirit of protective behaviours, we teach all pupils that there is no worry that is too small or too awful that it cannot be shared. Keep telling people until you feel better.
Whitehill has trained Peer Mediators in upper school, who work outside at lunchtimes to help with conflict resolution. Identified by their yellow tabards, pupils who need help to resolve squabbles can speak to the duty team. Mediators are aware of what is and is not within their abilities to resolve and when to refer on to an adult.
Sometimes a few pupils will need more bespoke support:
As part of our core graduated response to supporting pupils who may be experiencing social and/or emotional challenges, Whitehill offers a few mentoring sessions to some pupils across the week with trained adults.
Any child in our school could need this type of support for any reason, over their time at Whitehill, from the loss of a loved one or a dip in self-esteem, to friendship issues. Children are encouraged to see this time as a positive step in helping themselves to move forward happily and independently.
These sessions are not to be confused with counselling or therapy and are more of a light touch, informal, individualised space where the child can feel heard and have their feelings validated.
Sessions are allocated according to need and availability. Pupils themselves sometimes ask to speak to someone; parents sometimes request this option following a particular event or worry or teachers might spot a need that requires some short-term emotional support.
Sessions are approximately 30 minutes long, once a week and mentors work in roughly 6 week blocks before reviewing.
Some children may need another block of support and a very few may need a referral on to other agencies such as Step 2, in consultation with parents. Most, however, will be happy to stop and use other established mechanisms in school or home to support their feelings of well-being, such as those mentioned above.
From time to time, Whitehill are pleased to be able to support trainee therapists and counsellors gain practical experience.
What more could I do as a parent?
Parents can themselves discuss any concerns about emotional or physical health to the school nursing team and refer their own child to this service.
Call their duty line number 0300 123 7572 for more information.
Or see the website:
In addition, wellbeing practitioners run regular parent sessions around a variety of needs.
Parent Support
Whitehill and Highbury are fortunate to have a member of the MHST (Mental Health Support Team) working with us on a Friday.
In the primary setting their role is mainly centered around supporting parents to strengthen home practice or working with groups in school.
Here are the slides from our last EMHP hosted parent workshop on Understanding Your Child’s Thoughts, Emotions and Behaviours
Wellbeing Toolkit
For a one-stop-shop of useful wellbeing links click here. The information is collated by My Oasis.
| Resource | Brief Description (if appropriate) |
| Zones of Regulation Summary | A guide for parents of pupils in Highbury or Whitehill |
| Zones Poster | This poster is displayed throughout the school and highlights the four zones and the vocabulary associated with each |
| Five ways hand | The graphic pupils will be familiar with relating to the Five Ways to Wellbeing, simply showing the associated strategies for good mental health |
| ‘Feel Good Fingers’ Song | Pupils will be familiar with this song from their time at Highbury Infants |
| iGROWco – ActsofKindness | 101 examples of small acts of kindness which could make a huge difference |
| Resilience Boat | This simple worksheet is for primary pupils to help them identify the things in their life that make them feel safe right now |
| Stress Relief Giraffe | A useful info-graphic giving strategies for when your child is ‘getting a little stressed’ produced by CAMHS |
| Self Care for Kids | A self-help graphic for pupils with some useful tips |
| 10 Things to Say | Some useful phrases for parents to use when children are getting upset |
| Talking About Mental Health | A useful guide for parents |
| Eatwell Guide Booklet | Reinforcing healthy eating habits from a young age is essential for all families |
| Good Food Plate | Here is some information to help to explain things to your child from Public health England |
