Health and Well-Being
At Olga our mission is to promote mental and physical health and wellbeing for all members of our school community – children, staff, parents, carers and governors. We put wellbeing at the heart of our school to ensure successful learning and to enable children to become the “best they can be”. We have a vision for whole-school well-being and a strategy for how we are going to drive that vision forward. Read all about our vision, strategy, other sources of support and our monthly ‘top tip’ by opening the tabs below and clicking the links.
Our Vision Statement:
Mental health is: “the emotional and spiritual resilience which allows us to enjoy life and survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of wellbeing and an underlying belief in our own, and others, dignity and worth.” (Mental Health First Aid England, 2017)
At Olga our mission is actively to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for our whole school community - children, staff, parents, carers and governors. We put wellbeing at the heart of our school to ensure successful learning and to enable children to become the “best they can be”.
Olga has a whole school inclusive approach. We recognise that we have both a moral and a legal duty to create a safe and calm, but stimulating, environment which enables pupils to be resilient and foster better mental health and wellbeing.
We help everyone in our community to understand what can affect our mental health. We foster an open and non-judgmental culture in which everyone is free to speak openly about mental health (“it’s ok not to be ok”) and is able access the right help if and when they need it.
We make sure that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential, building healthier and more positive relationships and staying safer both physically and mentally. We provide a structured school environment with clear processes and systems for identifying possible mental ill health and providing excellent mental health support, understanding and early intervention.
We have clear expectations of behaviour and systems to make sure that children succeed emotionally as well as academically.
Downloads
We have appointed eight wellbeing ambassadors across years 5 and 6 who will be available at lunch to lend support and a sympathetic ear to any children who are feeling upset, alone or just need some time to relax and unwind.
Our ambassadors will also be promoting wellbeing across the school, while being role models for treating their peers in a respectful and caring manner.
Over the next few years, we plan to expand the wellbeing ambassadors program across all year groups, allowing every child the opportunity to talk about their feelings with their peers and ensure that every child has the best playtime and lunchtime possible.
Downloads
Healthy Lives Team
The HEALTHY LIVES TEAM supports schools, pupils and families with everything to do with health and wellbeing. We want to help you live fitter, healthier and happier lives.
Early Hub - Tower Hamlets
The Early Help Hub works with families or young people who would like some extra support to deal with a difficult situation. Getting help early can stop things from getting worse and becoming harder to manage.
Talking Therapies (Tower Hamlets)
Talking Therapies or psychological therapies are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. They can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression. You can access talking therapies for free on the NHS with a referral from your G.P or a G.P can refer you. They are open and accepting referrals, If you want to refer yourself, please use our online self-referral form or call 020 8475 8080.
Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
Parents and Carers resources offer advice and guidance to help support the children and young people who may be struggling with poor mental health.
Young Minds UK
YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children and have lots of practical advice and tips on supporting your child - from how to encourage your child to open up about their feelings to dealing with mental health services.
NSPCC
Parenting comes with lots of challenges, which can be even more difficult if you're dealing with wellbeing problems.
Mind
Mental health charity to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone.
Action for Happiness
Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society with lots of resources, events that will inspire you. There is also an app.
Mental Health Foundation
Mental health charity to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
Apps
Headspace
Try Headspace for free · Stress less with hundreds of meditations · Unwind with sleep sounds and music · Get in the zone with Focus music. There may be a cost after free trial.
Calm
Calm is an app for sleep and meditation 7 day free trail and a monthly charge to follow
Bright Sky
Bright Sky is a free to download, confidential mobile app providing support and information for anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or those concerned about someone they know.
The Bangladeshi Mental Health Forum (BMHF) is a registered charity.
- To raise awareness of mental health within the Bangladeshi community (also other BME groups such as Somali, new migrants, hard to reach communities)
- To challenge stigma; stereotypes and prejudicial views
- To educate and advocate the importance of mental well-being
- To organise mental health awareness events and workshops
- To promote and campaign for better accessibility to mental health services
- To work in collaboration with service providers to meet the needs of Bangladeshi service users and carers
- To highlight the concerns of families, carers of service users and the community to commissioners and service providers.
- To represent the Bangladeshi community in formal mental health strategic meetings and forums
- To facilitate activities and signposting services in the community
The BMHF has primarily focussed its community engagement activities in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The Education Hub
Tower Hamlets Mental Health and Wellbeing
https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/health__social_care/public_health/mental_wellbeing.aspx
Please see the documents below.
Links to events in Tower Hamlets -
Families Matter -
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKTOWERHAMLETS/bulletins/32f2a2c
Health and Well-being monthly tip - https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/top-tips-to-improve-your-mental-wellbeing/
Why Is Sleep Important?
Sleep is important because it can help us physically heal, recover from illness, deal with stress, solve problems, consolidate memories, and improves motor skills, all contributing factors to improve our mental health. A good night’s sleep isn’t just about how many hours of sleep you get, but also the quality of that sleep. There are two essential kinds of sleep: non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) and rapid eye movement sleep (REM). NREM sleep helps your body wind down and fall into a deep sleep, which allows you to feel more rested in the morning. NREM sleep can help us physically heal, recover from illness, deal with stress, and solve problems. NREM sleep also plays a role in memory consolidation and can help boost the immune system. REM sleep bolsters learning and memory. REM sleep affects your mood, memory, and learning efficiency. Getting enough REM sleep can improve recall and memory consolidation and help your brain regulate the synapses associated with some types of motor learning. REM sleep is the sleep phase closest to wakefulness, and where most of our dreaming occurs. To find out more about our monthly topic of sleep, click on the following TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpower?language=en
How can you work towards protecting your mental health and well-being online?
Social media and the internet in general is an amazing way of keeping in touch with friends and letting them know what you’re up to. There are plenty of positives to focus on but it’s also important to consider how overuse of social media or exposure to offensive content can negatively affect your mental health. It’s important to protect your mental health online. This is not just the case for the pupils and children of Olga Primary School, this is a relevant topic for parents, teachers and pupils that spend any time on apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok. Nobody is guaranteed protection from being exposed to content online that impacts health and well-being. For more information please check out: https://www.themix.org.uk/mental-health/looking-after-yourself/protect-mental-health-online-23016.html#:~:text=Online%20coping%20strategies&text=Focus%20on%20connecting%20with%20people,that%20make%20you%20feel%20good.
https://www.ted.com/talks/peachy_liv_how_to_protect_your_mental_well_being_online_from_a_gen_zer
How is a growth mindset beneficial to your health and well-being?
Growth mindset is a fundamental focus within the policies that Olga Primary school create. This idea is not just useful for the work that our wonderful pupils put so much effort into, it can also benefit our health on a day to day basis.
A person with a growth mindset believes that every element of their mental and cognitive abilities can be developed at any stage of their life, and their current abilities are only a starting point. With effort, learning and persistence, everything can be challenged and people start to grow within themselves. When you have a fixed mindset, you have a hunger for approval, but when you have a growth mindset, you have a hunger for learning. Which mindset do you think is going to get you further in life AND help you be happier? If you would like to learn more about how a growth mindset can benefit your health and well-being, below there is a link to a blog and a TED talk. Don't just listen to us, listen to the professionals......
https://nutritionbycarrie.com/2020/10/growth-mindset.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ