WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH

Ethos and Environment

• School Code of Conduct
• Mental Health Champions: All school staff provide a safe and supportive environment for children to speak with trusted adults at school.
• Pupil Voice:
  • Year 6 Mental Health Ambassadors
  • Student Council - Wellbeing Champions
• My Hidden Chimp: All children are taught about their brains and healthy habits to help support their feelings, emotions and to express them in a positive way. (Please see below for further information about the My Hidden Chimp.)
• Zones of Regulation: The scheme is used across the school to support children with emotional self-regulation. (Please see below for further information about the Zones of Regulation.)
• Assemblies:
  • Weekly assemblies where our school values and MAGIC habits are shared and rewarded.
  • Regular assemblies led by the Mental Health Lead, Mental Health Ambassadors, and Wellbeing Champions to promote Mental Health and Wellbeing.
• Playtimes:
  • Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) 
  • A Place to Talk: A morning playtime drop-in session in the Sunshine Room with Miss McGrath.
  • Sunshine Club: A quiet environment during lunchtime for those who need a calm space.
  • Year 5/6 Playground leaders.
• Castle Kids: Breakfast and after-school wrap-around care.
• Awards:
  • Attachment Aware Schools Award: Recognises our attachment-aware ethos and school community which provides a nurturing environment and positive relationships to promote secure attachments.
  • Healthy Schools Silver Award: Recognises our achievements in supporting the health and well-being of pupils. 
• Mental Health/Wellbeing Projects: NHS Cues wellbeing research project, Anna Freud CORC wellbeing survey, supporting resilience around transition for parents project led by the Mental Health Support Team and Chelsea Football Club PSHE lessons and mentoring. 
• Staff Support:
  • Regular mental health training is provided for all staff to support children and themselves.
  • Staff Wellbeing Action Group

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

• Weekly PSHE lessons - please see the PSHE curriculum page for further information.
• My Hidden Chimp: Each classroom has their Hidden Chimps displayed and there is a habit of the month to help support to train and manage our hidden chimps.
• Zones of Regulation check-ins: In all classrooms, children can check in with staff throughout the day using a designated display. 
• Tailored support for specific needs: All teachers personalise student well-being support with tools such as calm corners, worry boxes, regulation tents, and access to regulation tools.
• Personalised individual support: In collaboration with the inclusion team, students can access personalised support, including daily worry time, personal worry boxes, positivity cards, and a "Can I talk to an adult?" card when needed.

Parents and Carers

• Workshops: Parents and carers are invited to workshops, throughout the year, led by Educational Psychologists and the school's Mental Health Support Team, as well as local services.
• Coffee Mornings: Throughout the year parents and carers are invited to coffee mornings to meet with class teachers, and the Inclusion and Wellbeing teams. This provides an opportunity to talk and share concerns, successes, and ideas. 
• Mental Health Support Team: The Education Wellbeing Practitioner (EWP), the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) practitioner and the Mental Health Clinician work together with referred families to provide strategies, advice, and support. (Please see below for further information about the MHST)

The Zones of Regulation

Castle Hill uses the Zones of Regulation to teach and support pupils with social and emotional skills, emotional control, and gain skills in the area of self-regulation. Through the Zones of Regulation program, we aim to help children to learn to self-regulate, and understand their emotions and behaviours - and to understand the emotions and behaviours of other people.

The aim is for children to understand their emotions and learn how to regulate themselves in different zones.  

Please find below information about the Zones of Regulation and some useful links and resources.  

   Introducing the Zones of Regulation   Why the Zones of Regulation

Zones of Regulation Intervention   

Useful Links and Resources

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT INTERVENTIONS

Castle Hill provides a variety of interventions focused on social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) for pupils who are referred by their teachers through our early help process. The inclusion team determines which type of support would be most effective.

The interventions available include Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA), one-on-one well-being sessions, Zones of Regulation groups, Lego therapy, and Drawing and Talking therapy. If issues are beyond the level of school expertise we support parents with referrals to our Mental Health Support Team (MHST), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or our school Educational Psychologist.

Please find below information about our interventions and some useful resources.

     ELSA LeafletWhat is an ELSA Intervention? 

 Lego Therapy InformationDrawing and Talking Therapy

 Useful Links and Resources

The mental Health Support TEAM (MHST)       

The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) is an early intervention service. They work with children, young people, families/carers, and staff in school settings to support emotional health and overall well-being across Kingston and Richmond. The MHST is delivered by Achieving for Children as part of the Emotional Health Service.

Castle Hill receives weekly support from the Mental Health Support Team which provides early intervention and support 1:1, in groups or to whole classes. The team is made up of Education Wellbeing Practitioners and Creative Therapists. They are based in the school every Tuesday.

Please find below further information about the team and the referral process.

MHST Information Leaflet What we offer - MHST

EMOTIONAL HEALTH SERVICE (KINGSTON) 

Achieving for Children's Emotional Health Service (EHS) is a multi-disciplinary team of clinical specialists and mental health clinicians (clinical and counselling psychologists, systemic psychotherapists and art psychotherapists) who provide mental health support to children and young people in Kingston and Richmond.

Please find below information about the service and some useful resources.     

Emotional Health Support Services      AfC Emotional Health Service Kingston (EHS)   

Useful Links and Resources