It is our aim to deliver an education that provides our pupils with opportunities to explore and develop their own values, spiritual awareness, high standards of personal behaviour and a caring attitude towards other people. We celebrate their social and cultural traditions, and encourage an appreciation of the diversity of other cultures, as well as a clear understanding of British values. Pupils learn to distinguish between right and wrong and are encouraged to value themselves and others.

All staff model and promote expected behaviour and show respect for all pupils and their families.

Some of the ways we achieve this are:

•         Cultural Events
•         Working with the local community
•         Visiting places of worship
•         Star Awards
•         Our School Values

The Equality Act became law in 2010 and this protects people from discrimination. Under the Equality Act, there are 9 Protected Characteristics:

 

The 9 Protected Characteristics are actively promoted at St Mary’s through:

• Our core values
• Character Related Education Programme
• Our subject curriculum areas
• Our behaviour policy
• Conscious role modelling by all adults in the school community
• Active engagement and communication with parents and carers
• Assemblies
• PSHE lessons
• RE lessons
• Pastoral time activities
• Class story time
• Sporting, Art and Cultural Events
• Educational visits
• Real-life learning outside the classroom
• Guest speakers
• Developing links within our local community
• Extra-curricular activities
• A Protected Characteristics book spine

 

 

At some point in a child’s education journey, they might need “help” with something. It might be that they need help with their learning and ensure good progress or it may be their wellbeing and behaviour. The Treehouse is designed to allow children to be supported within a smaller, nurturing provision with a higher adult to child ratio, offering a thematic approach to teaching the curriculum which is underpinned by PSHE.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Offer

At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and well-being of all pupils and staff. We know that everyone experiences challenges that can make us vulnerable and at times and we recognise that anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play.

At our school we:

• help children to recognise and understand their emotions and feelings better
• provide a safe space for children
• help children feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries
• help children socially to form and maintain positive relationships
• promote self esteem and ensure children know that they are loved
• encourage children to be confident and ‘dare to be different’
• help children to develop emotional resilience and emotional literacy to manage ay setbacks they experience

 

Overall well-being 

At St. Mary’s, every member of staff is invested in ensuring that the children’s mental health and overall well-being is a priority.

We have created and developed a bespoke package to support children’s mental health and well-being, in response to the needs of the school and training, we do this through a ‘trauma informed approach’. Here is our ‘My Mind With Me’ offer, which every child at St. Mary’s has access to:

St Mary’s offers one to one and group therapy, this is a service delivered by a qualified counsellor and a trainee counsellor.

Counselling is a process in which counsellors can help to explore and understand difficulties and then help to develop resources and strategies to be able to cope with them.

There can be a lot of pressure of children/young people, as well as having to cope with adolescents and the strong physical changes that go with this. Young people find that the time and space they get in counselling helps them to feel better and cope at home and school.

Miss N. Duffy.

St. Mary’s is named as a Rainbow’s Site school, this is a service delivered by a trained member of staff within the school to support the emotional and well-being of our children. Mrs Boyce provides  support for the emotional wellbeing of our pupils.

Mrs A Boyce

PSHE is embedded within the curriculum at St. Mary’s. PSHE enables the children to understand and respect who they are, empower them with a voice and equips them for life and learning.

St. Mary’s are also working with Headstart South Tees to support children in school with mental health, from this, mental class health champions are allocated and support mental health activities across school.

St. Mary’s are developing a Trauma Informed Approach to support all children in school.