Wellbeing

At St Peter's, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff. We know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and at times, 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.

Essex County Council has committed to an approach named Trauma Perceptive Practice (TPP), to support schools to understand behaviour and support emotional wellbeing. This is fundamentally grounded in the following values:

• Compassion and Kindness

• Hope

• Connection and Belonging

‘These values are vitally important for us all and equally apply to the adults in school and to the wider school community. Becoming Trauma Perceptive encourages us all to think and act more boldly, through our values, policies and practice. This is vital in helping us to understand how to effectively support children and young people in our schools and beyond, whilst enabling us to create safe places where all can flourish, become resilient and learn’.

At St Peter’s we are developing our practice, policies and procedures in line with the principles of TPP, with ongoing staff training. (See information leaflet below).

Alongside our TPP approach, we use the myHappymind programme from Reception to Year 6. Grounded in neuroscience and positive psychology, it teaches children how their brains work and equips them with everyday habits—such as gratitude, happy breathing, and character strengths—to manage their emotions and build resilience.

We recognise that coming to school can sometimes feel overwhelming for children. All of our teaching staff are trained in Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), allowing us to spot early signs of anxiety and work sensitively with pupils and parents to make school feel manageable and welcoming.

We provide a range of targeted provisions to support children and families:

• Mrs Edwards – Pastoral Support Officer: We are fortunate to have Mrs Edwards as our full-time Pastoral Support Officer. Mrs Edwards plays a vital role in our school community, working closely with individual children and targeted small groups to build confidence, emotional regulation, and social skills. Beyond her work with pupils, Mrs Edwards is a dedicated point of contact for our families, offering guidance, a listening ear, and wrap-around support to ensure parents feel supported alongside their children.

• SENCo Support: Our SENCo, Mrs Niven, oversees coordination for children with additional educational needs. We are also able to access additional external support for children and families where needs are identified.

• The Burrow Club: A dedicated space providing a softer start to the morning for children who find the transition from home to school tricky.

We have a fully equipped sensory room in school. This supports our more vulnerable children, providing them with a safe, secure, low-stimulation space when needed.