Mental Health and Wellbeing
Cotwall End's Mental Health Lead -
Kate Lawley
June 2024
We were really pleased that so many parents turned out to meet Kate from NHS Mental Health Support Team. They heard all about the programme Reflexions and how it can help support their child whilst enjoying each others company with a coffee and a biscuit.
Kate is looking forward to working with the families of Cotwall End.
Reflexions is a Mental Health Support Team (MHST) who support education settings across the Black Country. We offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) informed sessions to children and young people from Reception to Year 13. We also support parents/carers to better understand their child’s emotional wellbeing needs. We support educational establishments to embed Whole School Approach (WSA) including school assemblies, staff training and Psychoeducational groups/ workshops. We aim to regularly meet with each settings to provide consultation and timely advice.
At Cotwall End, Mental Health and Wellbeing are paramount to us. Children are encouraged to recognise and label their feelings and share these with others. They know who to approach if these feelings get too big.
We have a fantastic Pastoral suite. Please click here to see more.
In school we have 2 trained Mental Health Leads. Headteacher Claire Williams is the Senior Mental Health Lead and Assistant Headteacher Gemma Wilkes is a Mental Health Lead. If you require any support around Mental Health, please contact us at any time.
Books to Support Mental Health
Books that acknowledge or explore mental health issues can help to increase awareness, encourage dialogue, reduce stigma and develop real understanding.
The following suggestions offer a spectrum of different perspectives and are well worth seeking out.
These include books that explore emotions for discussion with younger children, plus a range of teen/young adult reads that feature mental health issues.
The Huge Bag of Worries
By Virginia Ironside
The perfect book to soothe worries during stressful times. Wherever Jenny goes, her worries follow her - in a big blue bag. They are with her all the time - at school, at home, when she is watching TV and even in the bathroom! Jenny decides they have to go, but who will help her get rid of them? A funny and reassuring look at dealing with worries and anxiety, to be used as a spring board into important conversations with your child.
My Monster and Me
A touching story about a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It's there when he gets dressed, when he wants to play with his toys, and even when his friends come over to visit. How can he escape his worries?
by Aisha Bushby
Interest age: 9-11, Reading age: 8+
Safiya must uncover the truth of her mother’s history to help her survive the present. A beautifully written page-turniner, set in London and Kuwait, that deals with changing friendships, family dynamics and learning how to say goodbye.
The Colour Monster
by Anna Llenas
One day, Colour Monster wakes up feeling very confused. His emotions are all over the place; he feels angry, happy, calm, sad and scared all at once! To help him, a little girl shows thim what each feeling means through colour. What is the Colour Monster feeling? And can you help him feel a little less mixed up? A gentle exploration of feelings for young and old alike.
by Hannah Cumming
Reading age: 6+
Everyone loves art class; everyone except the little girl who sits alone and draws nothing, a black cloud glowering above her. Only one other girl dares approach to offer friendship - maybe they can draw something together? At first her approaches are rebuffed, but eventually she elicits a smile; drawing together looks like fun. Soon everyone joins in and the cloud is gone. Well, sort of!
By Andrew Fusek Peters and Polly Peters
Interest age: 4-8, Reading age: 7+
This beautifully illustrated picture book depicts one boy's experience of his father's depression, likening it to a world drained of colour and joy. The story acknowledges the feelings of helplessness that children might experience, helps them to understand that they are in no way to blame for a parent's illness and, perhaps most importantly, offers the reassurance that one day the colour will return to the world.
Support With Mental Health
https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
