Children and young people’s mental health is regularly in the headlines and gaining momentum on the national agenda.  St. Bernard's recognises the importance of mental wellbeing and its effect on teaching and learning.  We want to help children and families who may be struggling with their mental health.  

Emotional Literacy Support

In school we are fortunate to have a trained Emotional Literacy Support practitioner - Mrs Bowles.  She is able to offer emotional literacy sessions which support children in understanding their emotions.

There will always be children and young people in schools facing life challenges that detract from their ability to engage with learning. Some will require greater support to increase their emotional literacy than others. ELSA is an initiative developed and supported by educational psychologists. It recognises that children learn better and are happier in school if their emotional needs are also addressed.

At St Bernard’s RC Primary and Nursery School, we use My Happy Mind to help create a positive mental wellbeing culture in which children build resilience, self-esteem, and character. 

My Happy Mind is an award winning, whole school and Nursery curriculum which has been backed by the NHS and uses the latest research, science, and technology to help children develop lifelong habits and learn to thrive. 

My Happy Mind is taught across the whole school in weekly sessions, and consists of 5 units:

Meet Your Brain – Learning about how our brains work.

Celebrate – Understanding our character strengths and celebrating ourselves.

Appreciate – Developing gratitude as a habit.

Relate – Building positive relationships.

Engage – Engaging with the world.

To learn more about the myHappymind for Schools programme visit their website here - https://myhappymind.org/

Parent Introduction Video

to find out more information and to access the parent app. The authentication code you will need is: 140896.

attachment and trauma sensitive schools award

We are delighted to announce that we have been accredited the Bronze award 'Begin the Journey.' 

The Attachment and Trauma Sensitive Schools Award  is an external sign of recognition of the commitment of schools and to the steps they take to develop a culture of compassion and nurture, which plays a pivotal role in getting children and young people into a state of ‘learning readiness’. The award is issued only to those educational establishments that can demonstrate that they have met its rigorous quality standards and can maintain them over time.

Ideas and advice

This page will be updated regularly with ideas and helpful advice on how you can help your child; for example in areas such as empathy, self esteem or calming techniques.

• Mindfulness is a great way to help anxious child.  A great resource to support this is Cosmic Kids Zen Den on YouTube.  For more information on how to use mindfulness techniques with your child, please speak to Miss Marsden, who will be more than happy to pass on resources and tips.

Websites for helping children's Mental health:

Websites for helping adult's mental health:

Is your child struggling with sleep?

Have a look on the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) website here.