At St. Peter’s we believe that children learn more effectively in an environment where they feel socially, emotionally and spiritually secure. There will always be children and young people in schools facing life challenges that detract from their ability to engage with learning, and some will require greater support to increase their emotional literacy than others. As well as ongoing care from our head teacher, class teachers and support staff, we offer the following initiatives to encourage emotional wellbeing. These initiatives are partly funded by our Pupil Premium allocation.
Ways in we support your children
Family support:
At St. Peter’s we know that children don’t learn unless they feel safe and content. Mr. Phillips, our family support worker, works between the school and family to promote the welbeing of our children. He is available to children, staff and parents during the school day and can be contacted via the school office.
ELSA:
This is an initiative developed and supported by educational psychologists. It was designed to build the capacity of schools to support the emotional needs of their pupils from within their own resources. We have three trained facilitators in school who are able to hold regular sessions with selected children. These adults are Mrs. Atkins, Mrs. Dewis and Miss Roper. Parents will be consulted before their child takes part in this program.
ELSA network
This site outlines the rationale behind the initiative.
Christian meditation:
All staff have been trained in the use of Christian meditation to encourage calmness and clarity of thought. This is a particularly effective way to begin the afternoon after an active lunchtime. All classes meditate for a period of time which is appropriate to the age of the child. They are encouraged to sit calmly, repeat a mantra and invite God into their mind.
