At William Barcroft we consider the development of children’s wellbeing and mental health to be at the heart of our teaching and provision.  All of our staff are committed to supporting every child’s happiness by developing wellbeing and mental health. This is what we believe will help them be successful both at school and in their later life.

Physical Activity for Children

• Two PE sessions each week – indoor and outdoor
• Swimming Y4 – spring and summer term
• Swimming for Y6 catch up in Summer term
• Range of competitive sports taught throughout the school including invasion games, individual sports, dance and gymnastics
• A wide range of lunchtime sports clubs
• A range of intra-school sports competitions including dodgeball, football and netball
• A wide range of after school sports clubs with external coaches who are experts in their areas
• Celebrating pupils’ talents and successes from outside of school in assemblies
• Upper and lower school Sports Day
• Using our year 4 and 6 children as young leaders to assist with sports days
• A wide range of inter-school competitions including badminton, table tennis and cross country
• The opportunity for year 5 children identified as gifted and talented to attend specialist sessions at local clubs
• Because of all of this, we are current holder of a School Games Mark Gold Award

Wellbeing and Mental Health for Children

• Healthy school
• Worry Box outside the LM room
• School nurse
• Brushing teeth in class as part of science
• Lunchtime buddies
• Learning mentors and SLT at lunch available to talk through concerns
• Buddy benches
• Play Leaders for year 3

• Young Minds Matter school links worker
• Reading Dog via Pets as Therapy
• Pastoral support- in the form of group sessions or one to one interventions. Example topics/groups include: ‘When our feelings get too big’, ‘Friendship Club’, ‘I am and I can’.
• Multi-sensory pastoral interventions: aromatherapy, mindfulness, meditation, arts and crafts, yoga.
• Gardening Club

Staff Wellbeing and workload

• Trust and an absence of fear: no Ofsted fear, no management fear.
• A sensible and manageable ‘Marking and Feedback Policy’ which allows evidence outside of children’s workbooks
• Staff are valued as experts in their field, trusted to drive forward
  curriculum developments.
• Sensible appraisal proves completed in negotiation with staff and an assumption that all staff will go up the pay scale each year, unless evidence indicates otherwise.
• Data capture three times per year, in line with DfE recommendations.
• Three Parent Interview days to target all families during the working day.
• No formal lesson plan formats for expectations about submitting them.
• Learning walks and triad lesson study has replaced formal observations.
• Staff share resources and plan with their team to enable the planning workload to be shared,
• Meetings that finish on time and have a clear purpose.
• 1265 directed time not filled up. Staff work hard and go the extra mile so this does not need to be measured.
• A culture of collaboration – staff supporting each other and working together and treating each other with respect.
• Clear classroom routines and expectations that allow teachers to teach so that no time is wasted.
• Calendar pinch points monitored and review regularly by Leadership Team and amendments made in response to staff feedback.
• PPA for teachers is on the same day as the whole team and supported by a member of SLT.
• Time allocated for subject leaders to monitor and understand their subjects with clear frameworks
• Refreshments provided
• Mental Health first aiders on site
• Coaching available if needed
• Online secure twitter staffroom to discuss and share
• Staff development meetings focussed on CPD
• All training days valuable
• Large pastoral team to free up the teachers to teach
• Admin and environment team free up the teachers to teach
• All systems, timetables and processes are clear and easy to use
• Head on gate every morning with LMs around the school on the doors to meet children and parents allowing teachers to focus for the day
• SLT and LMS on duty at lunch
• Outstanding behaviour policy and support ensures teachers can teach
• Flexible approach to staff attending plays, sports day and special assemblies.
• Acknowledgement of team’s significant life events/birthdays/weddings.
• No expectations of when work is completed in own time or emails to be opened at the weekend