Mental Health - Lady Margaret Primary School

Mental health and wellbeing at Lady Margaret Primary School

At Lady Margaret Primary School, we are deeply committed to supporting the mental health and emotional wellbeing of every child and adult in our community. We believe that good mental health is essential for learning, relationships and lifelong success – and we work hard to ensure that our school is a place where everyone feels safe, valued and supported.

Mental health is not a stand-alone strand of our provision – it is embedded in our pastoral care, curriculum, staff training and daily interactions.

Our whole-school approach

We take a whole-school approach to wellbeing, recognising that children’s emotional development is just as important as their academic progress. This includes:

High-quality PSHE through the Jigsaw programme, with weekly lessons on emotional literacy, relationships and self-care

Calm Me Time and mindfulness practices integrated into the school day

A nurturing school culture based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, where children are listened to and respected

Targeted support for pupils facing emotional distress, anxiety or social difficulties

Working with specialist services

To provide the best possible support, we work in close partnership with a range of external mental health professionals, including:

A dedicated school counselling service, offering therapeutic support for children in need
The Mental Health Support Team (MHST), providing early intervention and mental health education
CAMHS and NHS partners, where higher-level or long-term support is required
Local authority professionals who support our strategic planning and staff development

We also provide drop-in services, pupil referrals and regular multi-agency meetings to ensure pupils and families receive joined-up support.

Thrive approach

Lady Margaret is proud to use the Thrive Approach to support children’s social and emotional development. Thrive enables staff to:

Understand how children’s brains develop and how trauma or stress may affect behaviour

Identify developmental gaps and provide targeted support

Plan positive, play-based and relationship-centred interventions that build resilience, confidence, and self-esteem.

All staff have received Thrive training and the approach underpins our nurturing ethos and inclusive practice.

Safe spaces and trusted adults

We ensure that children know:

Who they can talk to, we refer to these people as our trusted adults
Where they can go if they feel upset or overwhelmed
That seeking help is a strength, not a weakness

Every child is encouraged to build trusting relationships with adults in school. Our classrooms, reflection spaces, and sensory areas are designed to be calm, inviting, and emotionally safe.

Staff wellbeing and training

We know that a mentally healthy school starts with mentally healthy adults. Staff at Lady Margaret:

Receive ongoing CPD on trauma-informed practice, mental health awareness, and emotional coaching
Have access to wellbeing support and peer networks
Are trained to recognise early signs of emotional difficulty and respond sensitively

Our leadership team prioritises staff workload, communication and support structures to ensure our team feels cared for and valued.

The impact

As a result of our sustained work on mental health and wellbeing:

Pupils are more self-aware, emotionally articulate and resilient
Relationships are warm, respectful and inclusive
Behaviour is managed through connection not control
Families feel supported and involved in their children’s emotional development
Staff are empowered and equipped to meet children’s needs effectively

We believe that mental health matters every day – not just in awareness weeks or campaigns. At Lady Margaret, wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility, and it lies at the heart of our commitment to every child’s right to flourish.

For further information on our approach to mental health