Holmer Lake Primary School

At Holmer Lake Primary School, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our children and staff.

We have achieved a Silver Award after embedding a supportive and caring ethos here at Holmer Lake.  The Wellbeing Award supports us to create a culture in which mental health can thrive showing our commitment to promoting wellbeing as part of day-to-day school life. We have developed a whole school strategy for improving the wellbeing of our children.

Our approach is respectful and kind, where each individual and their contribution is valued. We understand that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable, anyone may need additional emotional support.

At our school we:

• Help children to understand their emotions and feelings.
• Help children feel comfortable enabling them to share concerns or worries.
• Help children to form and maintain happy, healthy relationships.
• Promote self-esteem.
• Encourage children to be confident.
• Help children to develop emotional resilience.

At Holmer Lake the skills, knowledge and understanding needed by our pupils to keep themselves mentally healthy and safe are included as part of our developmental PSHE curriculum.

We also offer support through targeted approaches for individual children or groups of children which may include:

• ELSA sessions.
• Draw and Talk.
• 1-1 interventions.
• Managing feelings resources e.g. ‘worry boxes’ and ‘worry monsters’.
• Daily check ins.
• Therapeutic activities including relaxation and mindfulness techniques.
• Mental Health Support Team - support from qualified practitioners.
• Crane Counselling.

The mental health lead in school is Jo Davies.

The Hive  

The Hive is a safe place for children and is committed to creating a happy, caring and supportive environment, it is an environment that ensures a positive, inclusive and supportive ethos where children can feel safe. Mrs Gapper works alongside children in The Hive on a daily basis alongside Mrs Davies who monitors the well-being of our children. We have continued access to outside help in order to support our children if required through the use of our parent support advisor. 

ELSA - Emotional Literacy Support Assistants.  

We offer a varied pastoral support for children who experience adversity, anxiety, bereavement and any life experiences that affect their emotional well-being. This is supported by our Emotional Literacy Support Assistants who offer small group or one to one support. 

Our ELSAs in school are Mrs Davies and Mrs gapper. Both Mrs Davies and Mrs Gapper carry out a vital role within school, working closely with school staff and Educational psychologists using good practise to implement the ELSA role across school. 

Children’s Safeguarding Board  

At Holmer lake the children strive to be caring and considerate. As part of helping one another we have developed a Children's Safeguarding Board to promote and improve safety across school for all of our children. The Children’s Safeguarding Board is made up of children from Year4-6.  

The Safeguarding Board meet every two weeks for meetings to discuss ideas that shape safeguarding and implement change. Every Wednesday they deliver a ‘tell us your worries’ on the playground session, the children can visit the Safeguarding Board to share worries or concerns they might have.  

There are worry boxes and designated worry tables around school which children can also use, helping to ensure all children feel safe and listened to at Holmer Lake  

Happy Helpers  

Happy helpers are easily located on our playground during play times wearing orange caps. Our happy helpers help to improve and promote our fun filled play times and safety of our children whilst enjoying play. Happy Helpers ensure that children feel safe and happy on the playground, they model good behaviour comic keeping children safe and being a playground friend for all.