Winterslow Primary School

From 7-13 February 2022, schools, youth groups, organisations and individuals across the UK have taken part in Children’s Mental Health Week. This year’s theme, ‘Growing Together’ is about developing emotionally and finding ways to help each other grow. Challenges and setbacks can help our resilience; trying new things can help us to move beyond our comfort zone into a new realm of possibility and potential.

At Winterslow Primary School, for Children's Mental Health Week 2022, we have encouraged children (and adults) to consider how they have grown and how they can help others to emotionally develop. With the help of our school council, we planned the following activities for the week using the 5 Steps to Wellbeing as our starting point:

• Take notice: Each class was given a spider plant for them to grow and nurture together. Some of the classes have even named the plants! We are hoping to propagate any baby spider plants to give away at our wellbeing week in May.
• Connecting with others: We created a ‘Rooted in Faith, Growing Together’ tree which has been displayed in the school foyer. Each leaf has a handwritten note celebrating the children’s learning and emotional successes since the start of the school year.
• Be active: We are so lucky to have a school with the most incredible fields and forests surrounding us. We have all been stomping in the wild and marvelling at the nature around us.
• Give: During ‘Circle Time’, we have talked about how we can help each other grow; how we can support each other to use our ‘Emerald Power’ and to persevere when things get tough.
• Learn: During our Daily Worship, we have talked about mental health and what it means to ‘Grow Together.’