Pupil Mental Health & Well-being
My Happy Mind is a programme we use at Slade Primary to help children understand and look after their mental health in a fun and positive way. It teaches important life skills like how to manage emotions, build confidence, develop resilience, and show kindness to themselves and others. The programme is based on science and uses simple, child-friendly language and activities that children really enjoy.
We use My Happy Mind in school because we want to give our pupils the tools they need to feel happy, calm, and ready to learn—not just now, but as they grow up too.
You can find out more about what your child will learn through My Happy Mind and how you can support their mental health and well-being at home by visiting the My Happy Mind website: https://myhappymind.org/
There are 5 Modules within My Happy Mind which will take place throughout the year:
- Meet your brain Meet Team HAP! Team HAP helps children learn all about 3 key parts of their brain: the hippocampus, the amygdala and the pre-frontal cortex. Why not ask your child what they can remember about these parts of their brain?
- Celebrate – children build self-esteem by learning all about their character strengths
- Appreciate – children are supported to develop an attitude of gratitude which has a proven, positive impact on mental wellbeing
- Relate – children learn to improve their listening skills so that they are better able to communicate and understand each other
5. Engage – children will build resilience through setting and achieving goals.
What else we do to promote mentally healthy minds
We take a whole school approach to well-being. As a trauma informed, attachment aware school, we support the emotional needs of our pupils with love, compassion and understanding.
Our approach includes:
- Weekly PSHE Lessons to help children explore emotions, relationships, and build resilience.
- Well-being Assemblies focused on emotional awareness and mental health.
- Well-being Club so children can spend time practising mindfulness and activities that support their mental health and well-being.
- Targeted Mentoring and 1:1 support for pupils who need extra emotional support.
- Calm Spaces in Every Classroom so children can self-regulate in a safe, quiet area.
- Calm Spaces around school so children can self-regulate in a safe, quiet area.
- A dedicated Mental Health Lead to offer support and guidance to children and adults.
- A Pastoral Team who support parents and carers with practical advice, emotional support, and referrals to external services.
Support for Children & Young People
We work closely with external agencies to ensure our pupils have access to the right support. These include:
- Pause – Forward Thinking Birmingham
- Compass Birmingham MHST
- Kooth Online Counselling (Ages 11–25)
- CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) – Specialist NHS support for children and young people with more complex mental health needs. Referrals are usually made through school or GPs.
Helpful Videos for Children:
