At Ilfracombe Infant & Nursery School we are committed to embedding a culture which values the happiness and emotional welfare of all pupils. The Department for Education and Ofsted recognise that promoting good mental health is the responsibility of all members of a school community including staff, governors, parents, pupils and any relevant external agencies. 

As a school we strive to create a culture in which mental health can thrive by promoting wellbeing as a part of day-to-day school life, providing opportunities to model, teach and discuss feelings and emotions. We are using the ’10 a Day’ strategy where pupils will become familiar with recognising and talking about the aspects that balance their mental health:

1. Talk about your feelings
2. Do something you enjoy and are good at
3. Keep yourself hydrated
4. Eat Well
5. Keep active in mind and body
6. Take a break
7. Stay connected to those you care about
8. Ask for help
9. Be proud of your very being
10. Actively care for others

Our school aims to help children grow and develop emotionally within a family atmosphere, thus ensuring children care about each other. We believe that to support future wellbeing it is crucial that children are equipped with the language to recognise and talk about emotions alongside strategies to support their own mental health. We use the language of ‘Growth Mindset’ across the school where resilience and perseverance is celebrated, with pupils understanding about how learning creates new pathways in the brain.

Some of the other ways our school promotes wellbeing include forest school and our broad and enriched curriculum. We also have a number of school traditions which are highly valued across the school community including making Christmas yule logs, sharing our learning with parents and carers, performing at the town’s remembrance service, regular collections for the local food bank and singing in our community. We strive to provide a range of after school clubs where pupils can pursue particular interests or hobbies. 

As a school we pride ourselves on being highly inclusive and nurture positive relationships with pupils to allow them to feel safe to share their feelings as well as take risks. Targeted provision to promote wellbeing and mental health for individual or groups of pupils include Lego Therapy, social stories and emotional literacy. 

Our vision for every child is that we equip them for lifelong learning by becoming resilient, confident, adaptable and collaborative.