At Rockmount, we promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing. Prioritising the wellbeing of children and staff ensures that outstanding teaching and learning can take place and that the school is a community where everyone feels able to achieve. We have demonstrated a huge commitment in embedding healthy lifestyle choices within our school curriculum over many years, with Rockmount attaining Food Flagship status and investing the award in the establishment of a school Edible Garden which continues to thrive  today! Rockmount then achieved the London Healthy Schools Gold Award. The extent of our work was subsequently recognised with the Wellbeing Award for Schools in November 2019 and again in November 2022. 

A key aspect of our role in school is to ensure that children can manage times of change and stress and that they are supported to reach their potential or access help when they need it. We also have a role to ensure that children learn about what they can do to maintain positive mental health, what can affect their mental health, how they can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and where they can go if they need help and support.

Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing 
 

At Rockmount we have a designated team supporting the wellbeing and mental health of our school community:

Senior Mental Health Leader: Donna Rankine 

Wellbeing Lead: Wassela Umar
 

Designated Safeguarding Leads: Helen Carvall, Amber Pearless, Viv Bull, Donna Rankine, Annette Schembri & Ana De Miguel

SENCOs: Amber Pearless and Hayley Gorman

Mental Health First Aiders: Donna Rankine and Amy Carvall 
 

Learning Mentor: Annette Schembri 

Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs): Claire Byrnes, Lucy Smedley and Katie Wrigley
 

Wellbeing Ambassadors: Pupils

Croydon Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

Croydon Mental Health Support Team work within our school to provide additional emotional wellbeing support to children, their families and staff. 

Team Leader & Children and Young People Counsellor: Barbara Allen

Emotional Wellbeing Practitioner:  Jasmine Krieg

Mental Health Practitioner: Nora Karacs

Please see the information below for the Services offered by the MHST

Teaching Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health 

Positive wellbeing is promoted through the curriculum and all school activities. Through a carefully planned approach to PSHE, our pupils are helped to acquire the knowledge and to develop the skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and to become resilient, informed and responsible citizens. Whole-school approaches such as assemblies and circle times are used to further develop pupils’ understanding of positive mental health. Pupils also learn how to use a range of strategies to maintain their own emotional wellbeing. Whole school events are held throughout the year including Mental Health Awareness Week, World Mental Health Day and Anti-bullying Week.

We have a whole-school approach to promoting positive mental health and well-being. Our vision is for all pupils to achieve through:

• Ensuring there is a positive, supportive and inclusive ethos where children can thrive and achieve their personal best

• Providing an emotionally secure and safe environment that prevents any form of bullying or violence  
• Helping children to develop social relationships, support each other and seek help when needed
• The early identification of children who have mental health needs and planning support to meet their needs, including working with specialist services  
• Providing specific help for those children most at risk or already showing signs of social, emotional and behavioural problems  
• Raising awareness within the wider community to de-stigmatise mental health  
• Working effectively with parents and carers  
• Supporting staff to develop their own resilience and offering training in how to develop children's social, emotional and psychological wellbeing

Please find more information in our Wellbeing Policy below.