At Stoke Prior First School we recognise the importance of emotional wellbeing and mental health. We understand that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing and can affect their learning and achievement. Part of our role in school is to ensure that children are able to manage times of change and stress, and that they are supported to reach their potential and can access help when they need it.

We'd like to introduce you to our Wellbeing Dog, Lola.

Children and adults can benefit educationally and emotionally, increase their understanding of responsibility and develop empathy and nurturing skills,

through contact with a suitable, calm dog.

In addition to these benefits, children and adults take great enjoyment

from interaction with animals.

Our school wellbeing dog is well cared for and responsibly owned by the school,

living with a member of staff. 

We will be sending more details out soon as to when Lola will visit us and our school policy which covers all aspects of this exciting new addition to our team.

Below are links to sites and resources, that may provide you with information

and support relating to wellbeing.

Childline Calm Zone

Here is a website that provides lots of activities, games, resources and videos which encourage children to find their own way to feel calm and to cope with how they are feeling. 

Emotional Health Activities

Here is a link to a website that gives advice, suggestions and activities on a variety of issues, such as self-confidence and self-esteem, resilience, low mood, anxiety and worries, self care and anger.

Children's Mental Health Week

1st - 5th February is Children's mental health week, and this years theme is about expressing yourselves. It is encouraging children to express how they're feeling in a variety of ways and to talk to a trusted grown up about their feelings. These activities and resources can be used with children at any time, and may be particularly useful over lockdown. 

Here is a mental health tool kit with ideas for parents and school:

Free E-Book

Here is a brilliant resource which provides information on how our bodies may react to stress, why you might find things hard as a result of this and how to get off the 'anxiety roundabout'. 

Anxiety

These three resources are linked to anxiety, how it can present in children and what you can do to help: 

Go Outside!

Lastly, don't forget to spend time outside. There have been numerous studies into the benefit of being outside, for example, it has been found that:

'exposure to nature can reduce hypertension, respiratory tract and cardiovascular illnesses; improve vitality and mood; benefit issues of mental wellbeing such as anxiety; and restore attention capacity and mental fatigue. But more than that, feeling a part of nature has been shown to significantly correlate with life satisfaction, vitality, meaningfulness, happiness, mindfulness, and lower cognitive anxiety.' (Jeremy Coles, 2016)

See the link below for more information.