Well-being
At Johnstown Primary School, ensuring pupils’ safety and well-being is our number one priority. We believe that if pupils feel safe and secure then they will be happy and ready to learn. In order to support pupils’ well-being, we have a number of tools which we utilise regularly.
Speakr
This is a system which allows school staff to monitor the emotional well-being of pupils in the school on a daily basis. Pupils record their feelings on this secure online platform and class teachers and teaching assistants can monitor their responses each day and over time.
Circle Time
Staff at Johnstown Primary School have been trained to use regular Circle Time sessions to allow pupils to share and explore their thoughts and feelings. Circle Time sessions have clear guidance and a set of rules agreed by all participants. A key aspect of these rules is that pupils’ contributions are always to be made voluntarily.
Emotional Literacy Screening
Twice a year, pupils at Johnstown Primary School complete an emotional literacy screening. Staff at the school also complete the screening for each pupil. The combined scores help school staff to identify pupils who may need additional support in this area.
Talkabout
This is a social communication skills package which ensures that small groups of learners are given regular opportunities to develop the skills to effectively and successfully communicate and engage socially with others.
Restorative Practice
Throughout the school we use Restorative Practice. This enables us to:
- Build positive relationships and sense of community with learners, staff, families and agencies
- Reduce conflicts using a consistent approach by all
- Improve attendance and attainment
- Problem solves quickly and effectively
Empathy Texts
To help our pupils empathise with others, we use a range of texts which are written to help children understand other people’s emotions and their thoughts and feelings.
Outside Agencies/Support:
In order to fulfil our obligation to support pupils’ physical and emotional well-being, we sometimes use outside agencies to support us and our pupils. These agencies include:
Carmarthenshire School Nursing Service
Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience
From September 2022, Johnstown Primary School will begin teaching under the Curriculum for Wales. This curriculum has six Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLE). Health and Well-being is one of these AoLEs and will ensure that pupils engage in learning which helps them to understand how to live a healthy lifestyle and look after their physical and emotional well-being.
In addition to this, one of the Curriculum for Wales’ four purposes which underpin all the learning pupils should undertake is to enable all pupils to become healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
Our School Site and Outdoor Learning
We have recently invested in significantly improving the outdoor provision at Johnstown Primary School as we believe that learning in the outdoors can not only improve outcomes for all pupils but also help to improve their readiness to learn and their physical and emotional well-being.