It’s important to make sure that pupils feel safe and comfortable in the classroom and other educational settings, and promoting safety and wellbeing can help ensure that school remains a safe and open space. Read on to find out more about how you can effectively promote safety and wellbeing within your school.
Talk about mental health with your pupils
Making sure that mental health is discussed openly can help normalise it, and ensure children feel comfortable talking about any issues they’re facing. Talking to pupils about what mental health is, and understanding different thoughts and feelings, can help ensure that children are able to speak out if they do have any mental health worries.
Teaching children about mental health could include lessons focusing on different feelings, support circles, and listening to others, to help widen the discussion about looking after your mental health.
Utilise the NSPCC’s ‘Speak out Stay safe’ programme
Safeguarding is incredibly important within schools, and it’s essential to have practices in place that keep children safe. The NSPCC run an online safeguarding programme available for children aged 5 to 11 years old which aims to support your existing safeguarding programme. This includes online assemblies to inform children about how they can speak out, stay safe, and get help. Resources for teachers and educational staff members are also available to use alongside the online assemblies. Primary schools can access the safeguarding programmes on NSPCC Learning here.
Ensure children are aware of the resources available to them
It’s important to ensure that children can find the resources they need while in your education setting. For example, creating a wellbeing and safety display could help children know where to look if they need help. This display could cover a variety of different topics, ensuring that children know where they can find help with issues such as bullying, relationships, home life and more.
Childline also provides a number of resources for schools that you might find useful.
Think about the physical environment within your school
The environment around us plays a large role in how we feel. Making changes to yout school environment can help make sure that children feel safe and protected.
Having an area designated as a quiet corner within your school or classroom is a great way to provide a space away from the noise of school life, to allow children to unwind and switch off if they need it. Designated wellbeing areas are also popular within schools, providing an area for pupils to take part in different wellbeing activities such as colouring, puzzles or reading.
To find out more about the different resources available to help promote safety and wellbeing within your school setting, visit the NSPCC Learning page here.
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