Wellbeing
Supporting every step towards a healthy mind and happy heart
About the Well-being Team:
The Well-being team comprises of the Head of Therapy and Assessment Service, a Well-being Lead, three Learning Mentors and Bella the school dog.
The Well-being Team works throughout all areas of school to support students, parents and staff in a number of ways:
- Referrals for well-being input
- Support 1:1 for students
- Specific group work for example; Buddying Groups, identified groups
- Reflection times at the beginning and ends of the day
- In lesson support for students for identified individuals
- On call facility each day for any ad hoc/needs led help
The Well-being Team support new pupils as they come to the school on their transition, being a familiar face and point of contact. This helps to build trusting relationships and nurture their transition within the new school environment.
Well-being vision
At Dawn House School, we provide an inclusive, innovative and collaborative learning experience. We recognise that, for the school community to thrive, good mental health and wellbeing is key.
We provide all pupils with the opportunity to thrive and to gain the knowledge, skills and values that will enable them to meet their full potential.
Recognising that all of our pupils are individuals we ensure a holistic and personalised approach to break down the barriers to learning and develop independence and social skills.
Wellbeing strategy:
Students have access to staff support from different professional groups, calling on a range of different skills. Students access wellbeing interventions and support as they go through their school life, in addition to formal teaching about wellbeing and mental health. Staff are upskilled by attending training and liaison with the onsite Wellbeing Team. We believe that students’ successful futures starts with good mental health and wellbeing, the strategies of which we hope continue after their time at Dawn House School.
Please see some useful links below for support:
https://www.camhsnorthderbyshire.nhs.uk/contact-us
Derbyshire Autism Services Group
Winston’s Wish – giving hope to grieving children (winstonswish.org)
YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People | YoungMinds
Kooth – the mental health and wellbeing platform for young people
Charlie Waller Trust, mental health charity
Mental Health Support Network provided by Chasing the Stigma | Hub of hope
Dawn House School: Wellbeing Award for Schools
Dawn House School is delighted to announce and celebrate the recognition of the wellbeing work that is at the heart of everything we do. This led us to be recognised for our outstanding work promoting mental health and wellbeing through the Wellbeing Award for Schools.
It’s great to hear the feedback from pupils, parents and staff, showing that they feel that school is a supportive and welcoming place to be.
Children certainly benefit from individualised approaches to learning and to understanding their emotions and overall wellbeing. They use their voice confidently through the Pupil Leadership Group and are encouraged to develop their personal areas of interest and skill.
Aspects highlighted during the accreditation were many, but Bella (our therapy dog) and the work of the wellbeing team with the Friends of Dawn House to provide the marketplace for children to buy family gifts at Christmas really stood out.
We’re also thrilled to highlight our staff wellbeing initiatives. Access to our swimming pool for family swims, giving time for staff to attend important family events such as sports days and Christmas shows, the Speech and Language UK menopause work and other initiatives to support staff financially through these difficult cost of living times are some of the aspects shared in feedback.
We continually prioritise and develop our whole school wellbeing offer and value feedback about how we are doing and how we can improve further. Processes that have supported our long journey to make wellbeing as much of a whole school responsibility as safeguarding, will continue in order to inform our developments in the future.
You can view our award verification report below:
