“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

Philippians 4:13

Following in the footsteps of our patron St Edward, we always try to remember that everyone is special and should be treated with respect. We recognise the dignity of each individual and encourage each to fulfil their own unique potential, living and learning in Christ.

At St Edward’s we are committed to promoting the positive mental health and emotional wellbeing of pupils, families, members of staff and governors. Our open culture allows all voices to be heard, and through the use of effective policies and procedures we aim to provide a safe and supportive environment for all affected.  

At St Edward’s we define Mental Health and Resilience as:  

Good Mental Health  

Individuals are mentally healthy when they have the ability to:   

• develop psychologically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually  
• initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships 
• use and enjoy solitude  
• are aware of others and empathise with them 
• experience happiness and can play and learn  
• develop a sense of right and wrong  
• resolve (face) problems and setbacks and learn from them.  
• develop a sense of self and identity  

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from the disappointments and difficulties we all experience. It is the ability to build protective factors in our lives which promote and protect our emotional wellbeing when faced with every knockback and unexpected changes.

This policy focuses on pupils' mental health and wellbeing. It aims to:

• Promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing for our community. 
• Remove the stigma of mental health challenges. 
• Increase understanding and awareness of common mental health challenges. 
• Enable staff to identify and respond to early warning signs of mental ill health in pupils and each other. 
• Enable staff to understand how and when to access support; both for themselves and pupils; who may have mental health challenges. 
• Provide the appropriate support to pupils with mental health challenges. 
• Develop resilience amongst pupils and raise awareness of resilience building techniques, creating a safe and nurturing environment for all. 
• Raise awareness amongst our community of mental health issues and encourage staff to disclose any mental health challenges in a supportive environment. 
• Encourage a mental health friendly environment where everyone is aware of the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and can effectively sign post pupils and families. 

Our Pupil Mental Health & Wellbeing Policy can be found here:

St Edward`s Mental Health and Well being policy

Further support can be found using the links below.

Mental Health Support Team: https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/camhs/bucks/mhst/

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS): https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/camhs/bucks/

NHS Mental Health Services: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/

Action for Children: https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/our-work-and-impact/children-and-families/good-mental-health/

Bucks Family Information: https://familyinfo.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/about/

The Anna Freud Centre: https://www.annafreud.org/resources/children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing/