Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Our pupils' mental health and wellbeing is the centre of everything we do at Orion Blenheim. We believe that good mental health in children is fundamental for them to be able to thrive in life. If we’re not tackling mental health problems early, then we risk failing the next generation right at the start of their lives.
Our aims at Orion Blenheim Primary School:
- All children and staff know their mental health and well-being is important
- Make mental health and well-being something we can all talk about
- Ensure we work as a school to provide for the specific mental health and wellbeing needs of the school community through a range of methods and resources
Our pastoral team consists of:
- Ms Incoom- Headteacher
- Mrs O’Connor – Designated Safeguarding Lead and SENCO
- Mr Taylor- Deputy Head
- Mrs Poulton – Mental Health First Aider
- Ms Blendell- Attendance Officer
If there are any concerns for a child’s mental health and wellbeing, anyone in the school can refer a child through our referral pathway.
These will be discussed with the Pastoral Team and added to the monitoring list on Arbor.
If you have concerns and would like to refer your child, please do not hesitate to contact any of the staff above or email the school admin.
Support children at Orion Blenheim:
The Zones of Regulation
At Orion Blenheim, we also use 'The Zones of Regulation', a research-based programme designed to foster self-regulation and emotional control in children. This proactive, skills based approach, teaches our pupils:
- To identify their feelings and levels of alertness
- To understand their feelings in context
- Effective regulation tools
- To problem solve positive solutions
- To understand how their behaviours influence other's thoughts and feelings
The four Zones are:
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. A person may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone.
The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.
The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone. This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.
The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.
Outside Services:
Bromley Y promotes the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children, young people and families by enabling change, fostering resilience and helping them build healthy relationships. They offer free support and counselling for children, young people and their families. 
The Maypole Project provides emotional well-being to the whole family when a child has been diagnosed with a complex medical need, special education need (such as ASD or ADHD) or disability:
The Maypole Project – Supporting children with complex medical needs and helping their families
The Bromley Mentoring Initiative (BMI) provides an early intervention, multi-agency and borough-wide approach to mentoring for young people in the borough.
Referral Information - Bromley Education Business Partnership
Helplines for children:
Bromley Parenting Hub:
Bromley Parenting Hub - A guide to living in healthy relationships - Bromley Parenting Hub
In Bromley we want all our children to thrive and live healthy, safe and secure lives, and experience family relationships that are healthy and stable. All relationships have tricky moments. Where conflict is frequent, intense and poorly resolved it can harm a child’s life outcomes.
The Bromley Parenting Hub pulls together information for all parents in the borough, whether together, separated or considering separation, who want to find ways to improve their relationship and get on better.
https://issuu.com/bromleychildrenproject/docs/myname_5c13fd502a4ece?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ
Young carers:
A young carer is someone aged 25 and under who cares for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability or SEN, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support. Older young carers are also known as young adult carers and they may have different support needs to younger carers.
If you consider your child to be a young carer, please contact the admin team or speak to a member of the pastoral team so we can look at how we can support your child and your family.
Bromley Well Young Carers Service supports Young Carers aged 4 -19 who are helping to support or care for a parent, sibling, friend or relative at home.
PSHE:
Mental health and wellbeing is covered in our school curriculum in lots of different subjects as well as the PSHE/RSE programme. Additionally, our assembly programme is carefully planned out and ensures we cover all mental health related topics throughout the year.
Please see https://orionblenheim.org.uk/docs/policies/Orion_PSHE_Policy_2024_25.pdf
Useful websites:
YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People | YoungMinds
https://www.mind.org.uk/for-young-people/
https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications
