Healthy Schools
At Poplar we are extremely pleased to have been awarded the Silver Healthy Schools Status. At Poplar, Miss Davies and Mr Edwards lead on Healthy Schools.
Healthy schools is a whole school approach to keeping children fit and healthy. The award is presented to schools who can demonstrate that they teach the children about;
- Emotional Well-being and Mental Health
- PSHE – Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education including Relationships and Sex education.
- Healthy Eating
- Physical Activity
Silver Award: in addition to holding a Bronze Award, schools undertake an analysis of pupils’ needs, and identify new actions that will help pupils achieve and maintain good health and wellbeing. This should include one targeted and one school-wide action, and the school will need to make plans for how the changes will be delivered and measured. Schools must submit a Local Healthy Schools Review every 3 years in order to maintain HSL status at all 3 levels. (From the Healthy Schools website)
Emotional Well-being and Mental Health
Every class has a board displaying the names of people the children can talk to if they have a worry or a concern. We encourage our children to share their worries and concerns with an adult that they feel comfortable talking to, this means that we are able to support the children early.
At Poplar we have a graduated approach to emotional well-being and Mental Health. Most children’s needs will be met within class by the class teacher and the teaching assistant.
At times the children may need further help from trained members of staff.
A large group of our staff are trained to be Learning Mentors.
Learning mentors work with pupils to help them address barriers or potential barriers to learning through supportive one-to-one relationships and sometimes small group work. Learning mentors help students develop coping strategies, enhance their motivation, raise their aspirations and encourage them to re-engage in learning. To work effectively, learning mentors have to take into account the range of complex issues that usually lay behind problems with learning and achievement (eg bereavement, lack of confidence/low self-esteem, low aspirations, mental health issues, relationship difficulties, peer pressure, family issues/concerns). Taken from: http://www.skillsforschools.org.uk/roles-in-schools/learning-mentor/
ELSAs- Emotional Literacy Support Assistants. If a child has worked with a Learning Mentor or we feel that they need an ELSA to work with, a child can meet with an ELSA once a week. Since the second lockdown we have increased our ELSA provision to five members of staff. Further information about the role of an ELSA can be found at; https://psychologyfirst.co.uk/our-services/elsa-training-and-supervision/es
Poplar have begun a project with the local authority regarding mental health and we have a New Mental Health Counsellor from Off the Record. The Counsellor comes in once a week to support children across the school.
We have a Camhs in school therapist working one day a week in school.
We offer Family support Groups which have been set up to support Parents and children.
In Years 5 and 6 we have Nurture Groups which the children can join.
In Years 1 and 2 we have a Lunchtime Nurture Group.
Mrs Ellis and her inclusion team have been introducing the Zones of Regulation training to different children. This teaches children to develop coping strategies and self-regulatory strategies.
Mrs Ellis and Miss Davies are the school Mental Health Leads.
PSHE
At Poplar the children have lessons in PSHE and these are well planned and at the correct level for the age of children. We follow the National Curriculum as set out by the Government and teaches are able to tailor some of the learning to their specific classes. As a part of the PSHE curriculum the children will also have circle times in class when they come together to share thinking and ideas. On occasion the whole school will have a PSHE focus at the same time for example Anti-Bullying week.
As a part of the syllabus the children have Relationship lessons and we have bought in the scheme Yasmine and Tom to help with the planning and resourcing. In Year 6 the children will have lessons regarding Relationship and Sex education. Parents are informed prior to the learning and there are a couple of lessons which you may withdraw your child from.
Healthy Eating
School Dinners are provided by our caterers, Caterlink. Meals are freshly cooked on-site each day by cook Sally Frazer and her assistants. For children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 the meal is currently free under the Government Universal Free School Meal Scheme. For the rest of the school the meal costs £2.23 A link to Caterlink can be found here: https://caterlinkltd.co.uk/. Please contact the office if your child has an allergy as we will need to update their records and inform the kitchen.
Whilst we are very mindful that we are teaching our children to be healthy citizens and ask that no cakes and sweets are brought in for birthdays, we are also teaching the children about eating in moderation. On occasion and at an appropriate event, the children may have a treat. This could be at a fund raiser e.g. a cake sale or PTA Disco, a trip to the local theatre when they may have a plain biscuit and so on… These treats are few and far between.
Physical activity
At Poplar the children are encouraged to be as physically active as they possibly can. The children have access to the grounds at playtimes and they also have lessons which take part in the outdoors – see outdoor learning.
Some of our classes take part in the daily mile, some have access to the scooter park to use the scooters during the day, some have access to the multi sports courts and so on… Each week the children have two dedicated PE lessons and on these days they come to school in their PE Kit. Not having to change for PE enables the children to have the whole lesson dedicated to the Physical activities.
The children all have the opportunity to represent the school at competitions and tournaments when they are in the Junior department. The children also have the opportunity to join different sporting clubs whilst at Poplar. We have a large trophy cabinet with all of our different trophies and certificates. Poplar are currently the Respect Cup Champions; this cup is voted for at the end of all tournaments by the other schools who take part and at the end of the academic school, the school with the most points is awarded the trophy.