At Oakridge School we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff. We know that everyone experiences challenges in life that can make us vulnerable and at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everyone's right and we all have a vital role to play.

We aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for every member of our school community including parents. We recognise that children's mental health and wellbeing can affect their learning and their lives and impact on future achievements. A key aspect of our role as a school is to ensure that children get the right support to reach their potential or access help when they need it. We also have a vital role in ensuring that children learn about what they can do to maintain positive mental health, what can affect their mental health and where they can go if they need help and support.

Positive wellbeing is promoted throughout our curriculum and school culture. Through a carefully planned curriculum, our pupils acquire appropriate knowledge and develop the skills and understanding they need to lead confident, independent and healthy lives and to become resilient and responsible individuals.

Providing early help to the children and families at Oakridge School means we are more effective in promoting support as soon as we can. Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to teenage years. As a small school we pride ourselves on knowing all of our children very well.

At Oakridge Parochial School our staff meet regularly with the Head teacher to discuss each child’s performance. Input from all members of staff is included in this meeting. Staff can also speak to the Head Teacher at any time they have a concern about a child, including the following:

How the child presents

Behaviour

Attitudes to learning

Friendships

Family issues

Additional needs

Any support they receive

General progress

Other agencies involved

This allows us to identify any children and families that would benefit from early help, it allows us to help them access to services in the school and beyond the school. From these meetings we form our schools’ SEND list including any vulnerable children.

Please click here for our Offer of Early Help : Heartwood Federation - Policies

We have 3 members of staff who have had the enhanced L3 safeguarding certificate.

PREVENT TRAINING – Radicalisation.

CHANNEL ONLINE TRAINING - All staff have currently completed this.

CSE TRAINING - All staff have been trained on Child Sexual Exploitation

FGM ONLINE TRAINING - All staff have currently completed training on Female Genital Mutilation

At Oakridge Parochial School we meet the needs of our children through a variety of ways:

Pupil Voice – our children are actively encouraged to speak about any concerns they have to a member of staff. In lessons and through our Christian Values children are taught to speak openly about their emotions. Our Children know our staff take all their concerns very seriously.

Questionnaires - Children complete questionnaires or have their views collected to identify any issues. Parents are informed and training is offered.

When we conduct pupil voice for any subject or learning walk we ask children: Are you happy? Do you feel safe?

The school has signed up for GHLL review of provision.

All teachers and staff know precisely how to identify and report concerns – Blue Safeguarding concern forms.

Child protection files are kept by the Head teacher, which build up a chronology. All referrals are summarised and updated continually.

Admin follows ‘Missing From Education Guidance’

All new staff complete safeguarding inductions

We have a designated teacher for children in care

The Head teacher has signed up for GSCB alerts

We have evidence of annual recording that staff have read:

Keeping Children Safe in Education Part 1

Child Protection Policy

Safer working practice

ICT User Agreement

The school keeps detailed records of pupil attendance and if attendance dips below 94% this is discussed with parents.

The school operates a first day response system.

Please click here for our policy: Heartwood Federation - Policies

The school follows a rigorous reward/ sanction system through our Relationship Policy.

Our Christian Values underpin all our morals and standards of behaviour.

Our policy can be found here: Relationship policy