St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School is committed to protecting our pupils and ensuring their safety and wellbeing, not just whilst at school but also in the community.   

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. 

Mental Wellbeing at SMRT

The School promotes positive mental wellbeing for all students and supports them to develop the skills needed to keep themselves healthy. We use a combination of universal, additional, targeted and specialist approaches, dependent on need, and work collaboratively with the Heads of Years, SENCo, Safeguarding Officer and other professionals in school, as well as external agencies where relevant. 

We are clear that struggling with aspects of wellbeing does not mean that somebody has a mental health problem. However, we are mindful that this will be the case for some. According to the Children’s Society (2022):  

• In the last three years, the likelihood of young people having a mental health problem has increased by 50%. 
• 5 children in a classroom of 30 are likely to have a mental health problem.  

By implementing practical, evidence-based interventions we can promote a safe and stable environment for students affected both directly and indirectly by mental ill health. We will always liaise with and potentially refer on to specialist mental health services where it is clear that the level of need falls beyond what we are equipped to deal with in school. 

Key staff 
Ms K Meredith - Mental Health Lead 
Mrs E Tiplady - Mental Health Interventions Teacher   

Signposting and Support for Parents 

There are many places to obtain information and advice relating to health and wellbeing. Below are some of the organisations that we have found to provide useful information. 

We have produced a large list of agencies and organisations offering support:

Health and Wellbeing - Sources of Support

Parent Zone is an organisation which has worked since 2005 in providing parents with information, support and advice particularly around digital technologies and the impact this has on families. 

CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) is the Child Protection command of the National Crime Agency. Through their work and education, they help to keep children safe whilst online as well as studying the impact this may have on their offline lives. 

Childline  has advice and support covering a whole range of topics such as friendships, bullying and schoolwork to name just a few. 

The NSPCC provide support and advice for parents on a range of topics including how to deal with tantrums, abuse and substance misuse. 

Anna Freud Centre 
https://www.annafreud.org/parents-and-carers/ 
 
Happy Maps – often recommended by GPs 
https://happymaps.co.uk/ 

Contacting School 

If you have a concern about the health and wellbeing of your child that you would like to share with the school, please refer to the three ways of contacting the safeguarding team here.