Pastoral Support

Bardfield Academy
At our school, we take a relational approach to behaviour, grounded in therapeutic strategies that support the emotional wellbeing of every child.

We understand that behaviour is a form of communication, and our staff are trained to respond with empathy, consistency, and compassion.By building trusting relationships and creating a safe, nurturing environment, we help children feel secure, valued, and understood.

This approach is underpinned by the belief that “you don’t get children to behave better by making them feel worse; when children feel better, they behave better.” Staff receive regular training linked to therapeutic thinking and strategies so that this approach aligns with our values and culture.

Rather than focusing solely on consequences, we work proactively to teach self-regulation, resilience, and social skills, ensuring that all children have the support they need to thrive both emotionally and academically.

Our Pastoral Support

At Bardfield Academy we’re committed to nurturing not just academic success, but the overall well-being of every child. All staff are committed to ensuring every pupil feels happy, safe, and supported throughout their primary school journey. However we also have some specific staff who are here to support children who may need some additional support.

We have a comprehensive approach that includes:

  • Wellbeing Practitioners: Our practitioners work proactively with individuals and groups to develop positive emotional regulation, resilience, and social skills. They provide practical tools and strategies to help children navigate everyday challenges. Our Hub provision runs morning and afternoon sessions for children who may struggle in class all day, catering for children from Yr 1- Yr 6.
  • Mental Health Ambassadors: These trained staff members are a friendly, accessible point of contact for children and families who may be concerned about a child’s mental health. They offer a listening ear, guidance, and can signpost to further support both within and outside of school.
  • School Counsellor: We offer confidential, one-on-one sessions with our qualified school counsellor. This provides a safe space for children to explore their feelings and work through more complex issues in a supportive, therapeutic environment.
  • Attendance Officer: Our attendance officer monitors pupil attendance closely and works in partnership with families to overcome any barriers that may prevent a child from regularly attending school. They are dedicated to ensuring every child attends school regularly and barriers are removed.
  • SENCO: Mrs Terrell (SENCo) leads the provision for children with special educational needs and this also includes any medical needs and care plans. They work with teachers, parents, and external professionals to identify and support learners ensuring they have the resources and interventions they need to succeed and thrive in our school.
  • Wellbeing Manager: We are fortunate to have a Wellbeing Manager who not only works across the school supporting children who may become overwhelmed in lessons but also delivers bespoke wellbeing interventions with small groups. She also works alongside parents to support their children in the home.
  • Therapy Dog: We are extremely grateful to have a therapy dog (Henry) come to school fortnightly to work with children in small groups. There is so much research supporting how positive this can be on adult and children’s mental health and we have know the children are motivated and enthused by having a dog in school – our previous dog ‘Hugo’ was perhaps the most popular member of our community!

Our pastoral team works closely with teachers and parents to create a strong network of care, ensuring every child has the best possible foundation to thrive. We believe that happy, healthy children are the most successful learners.

Mental Health and Wellbeing at Bardfield Academy
Senior Mental Health Lead: Mrs. L van B
 
Our Vision: That all Bardfield Academy stakeholders are informed about how to put pupils’ and their own wellbeing at the forefront of their decisions and actions. We want all stakeholders to feel informed, acknowledged and empowered to address pupils’ (and their own) wellbeing effectively. At Bardfield Academy, we envisage a future with well-rounded individuals who have the capacity to deal with life’s challenges without feeling unduly overwhelmed and to know how to proactively seek help from external sources when needed.
 
Our Approach: At Bardfield Academy once pupils and staff are settled, we begin the year with a high profile whole school event to celebrate and raise the profile of mental health awareness through Hello Yellow week. This often encompasses whole school activities such as buddy “walk-and-talk;” a staff photography competition judged by School Council members, (with a variety of themes such as mindfulness); targeted PSHE/RSE sessions on what mental health is; staff and pupils dress-down days; a friendly staff bake-off judged by the School Council, (where the baked products are donated in the staffroom to colleagues) and assemblies and class activities to raise awareness of mental health issues, and how to keep a healthy mind. Pupils are confident to talk about mental health and strategies we can use to improve our mental health and have access to “time-to-talk;” the wellbeing hub; the School Counsellor; a well-thought through progressive PSHE/RSE curriculum and we are a No Outsiders school, (welcoming and embracing diversity and differences). Furthermore, at Bardfield Academy we engage external stakeholders and companies to utilise their resources, CPD and support for pupils, their families and staff: For example, year 6 recently went to Crucial Crew, Essex Fire and Police Services visit the school to deliver workshops on cyber bullying, e-safety and knifecrime, we have Mental Health First Aiders for pupils and staff, regular mental health staff drop-ins and SLT have an “open-door” policy, enabling staff and pupils to be proactive in their support. Additionally, SEAT Trust offers a two-week October vacation in the most challenging term, enabling staff and pupils to decompress, and Friday afternoons pupils finish early enabling staff to attend earlier CPD, manage their workloads or extend their weekends.
 
Our Purpose: Our purpose is for mental health at Bardfield Academy, to be an essential component in our curriculum, that children know how to recognise emotions and use strategies to regulate themselves, navigating the ever-complex canvas of life with a healthy whole-bodied approach. Furthermore, we strive for all stakeholders to embrace an awareness of mental health, so that we are informed and armed to survive and thrive in modern society.