Wellbeing & Mental Health

Aside from a whole school ethos of care, we also have some specific strategies to support children's happiness and well-being:

The Buddy Crew

We have 10 children in the school from a range of different year groups who have been selected because of their caring nature and the confidence they are able to draw upon to help support their peers. The Buddy Crew receive 3 days of "peer mediation" training throughout every year and become very skilled in support. They wear red hats and bands and are easily recognisable - children can approach them for support  on the playground or they sit on the buddy bench and a member of the crew will arrive to help. You can find out more about The Buddy Crew under the "Learning" tab of our website.

High Five

We follow the "High 5" system of conflict resolution in school. All children are trained through drama activities to talk friendly and talk firmly and there is an expectation that children have a go at resolving any playground disagreements by talking and expressing their feeling calmly. There are always adults on hand to support this process.

Part of our "high 5s" training is about recognising situations where you would report an incident to an adult straight away and these situations include any bullying or discrimination. Children understand that they also have a responsibility  if they are a bystander. Children as young as reception cab be seen using the approach on the playground.

Pupil Wellbeing

The well-being of our children is out top priority; we understand that children are only able to learn effectively when they feel safe and happy and able to be themselves.

One of the many benefits of a small school community is that children are truly known by all staff and all of their peers in every year group. We have a strong ethos of care in the school and we all look after each other. No matter which class or year group you are in, staff and children will pay attention and support you. The size of the school means that we are able to offer a very personalised approach to supporting  children whenever they need it.

We have formed lots of links in the Pewsey and Marlborough areas with outside agencies that support children with families.

Emotional Literacy Support

We employ an Emotional Literacy Support Advisor (ELSA) to whom we are able to refer children who need support with a  range of areas from friendships, recognising  and sharing feelings, anxiety, resilience, self-confidence and self-esteem. Teachers highlight children who they think would benefit from this but please do contact your child's teacher if you would like this to be considered as an option for your child.

Preventing Bullying

Bullying can happen in any school and, while we do not have many incidents, we remain vigilant and we have developed comprehensive approach to bullying alongside the Anti-Bullying Alliance.

You can find out more about our approach by visiting our bullying prevention page.

Please speak to your child's teacher without delay if you have a bullying concern. We will deal with matters swiftly and sensitively.