Mental Health
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.
Good mental health isn’t just the absence of mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. Rather, it is the presence of positive characteristics, such as being able to cope with life’s challenges, handle stress, build strong relationships, and recover from setbacks. It includes the way we feel about ourselves, the quality of our relationships, our ability to manage feelings and deal with difficulties, and how much meaning and joy we derive from life.”

Mental Wellbeing at SMRT
As the WHO makes clear, ‘Mental Health’ and ‘Mental Wellbeing’ can be used interchangeably and they encompass many elements of the human experience. We want to promote positive mental wellbeing for all students and support 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 Houses, 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
Katherine Meredith – Mental Health Lead
Emily Tiplady – Mental Health Interventions Teacher

Signposting and support for parents

Below you will find the links to some key websites of organisations who offer support to families with young people. 

Anna Freud Centre
https://www.annafreud.org/parents-and-carers/

Young Minds
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/

Mind
https://bristolmind.org.uk/advice-resources/

Happy Maps – often recommended by GPs
https://happymaps.co.uk/