Menu
Home Page Microsoft365
Welcome to Herne Infant & Nursery School - Learning, loving and growing together ... Admissions 2025 - come and have a look around our Outstanding School, Tour Dates and more information can be found under the Starting School tab below
Home Page

Wellbeing

Comments from Pupils and Parents

Whole School Approach to Wellbeing

At Herne CE Infant and Nursery School, we invest in the wellbeing of all. By a “whole school approach”, we mean involving every individual in the school community: pupils, parents and all staff and volunteers. Everyone has the chance to understand and implement practical things which will contribute to changes in practice and benefit all the students in the school. Wellbeing is a priority for all staff and we aim to ensure that our children and families feel safe secure and valued as part of the school and wider community. Children need to be happy, confident and settled in order for their brains to be able to function and for them to be able to access learning. Most importantly all children have the right to feel valued and loved. Without this children will fail to thrive and reach their full potential. As a school we want every child to believe that they are able to achieve anything as they develop essential life skills such as perseverance, resilience and problem solving skills.

 

All children’s wellbeing is monitored by class teachers daily. Staff ensure that additional time is made for those who require it through being responsive to the individual needs of the children within the class.

 

If staff are concerned about a child’s wellbeing this would be raised with the Wellbeing lead. We have a number of strategies which are used to monitor and support individuals who are encountering social, emotional or mental health difficulties. A Boxall Profile screen may be completed in order to highlight areas of strength and need for individual children.

 

All staff are responsible for supporting children's mental health and wellbeing. Staff have regular opportunities to discuss this with Senior leaders and the Wellbeing team.  The strategies used will be dependent on the individual needs and situation of the child.

 

The Wellbeing Team

The wellbeing team support many children across the school for a variety of reasons. This could be on an individual or a small group basis. Children may be identified by school staff or parents. Many children, during the course of their schooling may need support from the wellbeing team for a wide range of reasons. To contact the Wellbeing Team please email: wellbeing@herne-infant.kent.sch.uk 

 

Mrs A Cox - Assistant Head/SENCO

Attachment Lead/Drawing and Talking practitioner

 

I have been working at Herne since 2013. I started my role as SENCO in 2014 and am passionate to ensure that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. In 2017 I completed my Masters degree in Inclusion with a focus on emotional health and wellbeing.  I have always had an interest in mental, emotional and physical health and am keen to ensure that all children grown up knowing that they are important, valued and most of all that they are loved. Within my role as Assistant Head and SENCO I oversee the wellbeing of all children across the Nursery and school. I feel privileged to work with a team of teachers and support staff who also feel that emotional health and wellbeing is important to the holistic development of all children. I work closely with families to support them when challenges occur and enjoy being able to work together and find solutions in order to move both learning and emotional wellbeing forward.  All decisions made are in the best interests of the children and their wellbeing remains at the heart of everything we do.

Mrs C Stroud - Wellbeing Womble

 

I joined the Herne family in 2016 as a Teaching Assistant and became a Learning and Wellbeing Mentor in September 2021.  I have a passion for helping children to achieve their full potential and believe that we need to reduce any barriers to learning, whether they be physical or emotional, to enable our children to shine.  I offer a friendly smiling face who is willing to listen and offer any guidance when necessary.  I enjoy working with children and their families to provide support and advice wherever I can.

 I have a particular passion for supporting Speech and Language within the school, I have completed a level 3 award in Speech and Language Support for 5-11’s and use this knowledge to advise and guide best practice when delivering interventions and supporting our children in class. I am a Drawing and Talking practitioner and can provide children with a safe and secure environment to process their emotions. I am a certified Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) and as such I care about the happiness of your children in school, a happy child is ready to learn and enjoy their school adventure.  I aim to build your child’s emotional development and help them cope with life’s changes. I feel very privileged to work in the wellbeing team where the needs of the children are made a priority.

Mrs C Willingham -  Play Therapist

I am a certified and registered Play Therapist and I focus on providing children with therapeutic support for their social, emotional, and behavioural health and wellbeing.

I work with children aged between 4 and 11 years old either individually on a 1:1 basis or within small groups. As a Play Therapist I provide children with a safe therapeutic space to express and process their feelings and emotions as they may need to.

I work with a Play Therapy toolkit which consists of creative visualisation, therapeutic storytelling, puppets and masks, art, clay, sand tray, music, movement and drama and role play.

Play is a child’s natural medium of self-expression and it is essential for their development. Play Therapy provides children with the opportunity to play out their feelings and problems within a therapeutic objective to enable a child’s full potential.

 

Yoga and Mindfulness

Yoga and Mindfulness can improve both our wellbeing and help us focus on the current moment and helps us to take a breath and just be. Classes are taught by class teachers daily in a range of ways.  Children are developing a range of strategies to help reduce stress, improve memory, empathy, concentration and to develop better creativity.

 

For more information about mindfulness, click on the link below.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/10-mindfulness-exercises-kids

 

 

Need support for your own mental health?

If you are feeling low or anxious, stressed or feel you are simply finding it difficult to cope at the moment, you can call the confidential Mental Health Matters Helpline for guidance and support. You can contact a trained and experienced support worker on 0800 107 0160.

 

Useful links

CEOP
We've had Visitors
Disclaimer
Top