Mental Health and Wellbeing
Supporting Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing
According to data from the NHS (Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023), 20% of children aged 7 to 10 years are now experiencing a mental health disorder, an increase from previous years. This growing concern highlights the importance of supporting children’s mental health from an early age. At Horrington Primary School, we are fully committed to nurturing our pupils’ emotional and mental wellbeing. We believe every child has the right to feel safe supported and understood. We work closely with children and their families to ensure that mental health needs are recognised and addressed with compassion and care.
Zones of Regulation
Introduced at Horrington from September 2025, the Zones of Regulation is a widely-used framework that helps children understand and manage their emotions in a healthy way. It uses four colour-coded ‘zones’ (blue, green, yellow, and red) to help children identify how they are feeling and develop strategies to return to a calm and ready-to-learn state. Teachers regularly use language, surrounding this approach, during lessons and assemblies. In each classroom an interactive display is used to support this approach, allowing all children to identify their zone each morning and change this throughout the day, as required. We also provide regular lessons and activities to help children build their emotional vocabulary, recognise triggers and practise calming techniques, such as breathing exercises and mindfulness.
ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant)
An Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) is a trained member of staff who works with children to develop their emotional awareness and coping skills. Miss Cull excellently provides targeted one-to-one or small group sessions for children who may be experiencing anxiety, low self-esteem bereavement or friendship difficulties. These sessions take place in a calm and welcoming environment, allowing children to speak openly and develop resilience in a safe space. The ELSA programme is overseen by educational psychologists and is tailored to meet the individual needs of the children. This intervention plays a vital role in supporting pupils to feel more confident, secure and emotionally balanced in their daily lives.
Involvement of Outside Agencies
We work in partnership with a range of outside agencies to ensure that children receive the specialised support they may need. These include Educational Psychologists, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Speech and Language Therapists and Parent and Family Support Advisors. When a child’s needs go beyond what we can support in school alone, we make referrals in close collaboration with parents and carers. We attend multi-agency meetings, contribute to care plans and ensure that recommendations are followed up within the school setting. This joined-up approach ensures that children receive holistic and consistent care both inside and outside the classroom.
Worry Boxes
We understand that voicing worries can be a daunting process for children. To encourage children to reach out to an adult, within each classroom, every child has access to a worry box. These can be used to discretely alert an adult that they would like to voice a worry to them in a quiet space.
Supporting Mental Health at Home
Parents and carers play a key role in supporting their child’s mental health. At home, routines that include regular sleep, physical activity and open conversations about emotions can make a big difference. We encourage parents to listen actively to their children, validate their feelings and seek help when needed. There are also a number of helpful websites offering resources and guidance for families:
- Young Minds: Click here for the Young Minds website
- MindEd for Families: Click here for the MindEd website
- Place2Be: Click here for the Pace2Be website
We are always here to work in partnership with our families. If you have concerns about your child’s mental health, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Together, we can ensure that every child in our school community feels supported, valued and equipped to thrive.
