St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Jarrow)

It is Children’s Mental Health Week next week. Please see attached info from Mrs Arthur.

mental health 2024

Dear parents and carers.

I am delighted to inform you that the report from our inspection in October is now available on the school website and will be released on the Ofsted site within the next 8 working days.

We are delighted to confirm that the school continues to be a ‘Good’ school

The process was very detailed and rigorous and I am very pleased that this is acknowledged. I would like to thank all those who took part in the inspection, staff, governors, parents and pupils alike.

The school’s grading of ‘Good’ is a benchmark that is high under the current Ofsted framework. We are very pleased that the hard work undertaken by all in the school community has been recognised, including the systems in place, the reflective and driven nature of staff/governors, the commitment of the pupils and the fantastic relationship we have with parents.

The report itself  highlights the many elements of good provision, as well as many that were seen as exceptional.

I do hope that parents and carers take the time to read the inspection report in full as it represents a school that is not only good, but one that offers your children the very best. One of the many positive comments in the report is that children ‘thrive’ and we are an ‘inclusive school where no-one misses out’. We love the comment from a parent that says we are a ‘Fantastic little school at the heart of our community.’

On Tuesday, the KS2 national curriculum tests (SATs) results were published. For the second year in a row,, we are absolutely delighted with how our pupils have fared, with St Joseph’s results significantly exceeding the National figures in all areas.

These results are testament to the hard work and dedication from our AMAZING Year 6 pupils. It also shows the quality of teaching received not only during Year 6 but in the years leading up to this. 

I am immensely proud of these results and though they are just an indicator on the day of how the children perform, the fact that all pupils did their absolute best throughout should make everyone in our school community, especially our Year 6 parents, also glow with pride!

As a school, we take the safeguarding of our pupils extremely seriously. In fact, the safety of our
pupils is our most important job. Our Safeguarding Policy (available on our website) explains to
parents how we safeguard your child. However, the policy is not really accessible to children.
We have therefore developed a Child Friendly Safeguarding Policy This leaflet explains in
children’s language what we do to keep them safe, and what they can do if they feel unsafe. We
obviously offer many opportunities for our pupils to understand what safeguarding is through
Kidsafe lessons, PSHE and the involvement of outdoor provision, but this leaflet gives you an
opportunity to discuss it with your child.
We hope you and your child find it useful. Please share your thoughts about the leaflet via
enquiries@stjosepshjarrow.co.uk

The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week in 2023 is Anxiety. Anxiety is an important human emotion but, in some circumstances, it can get out of hand and become a mental health problem.

Anxiety is something we can all experience from time-to-time.  There are lots of reasons why we get this feeling.  It can be connected to a job, school, a relationship, social situations, how we feel about ourselves, or a change in our life.

If we don’t know how to cope with our feelings of anxiety, they can get out of control and stop us from doing the things we need or want to do. The more often and the longer we feel anxious, the more it can become a problem. Dealing with anxiety can be hard. But there are some things we can do to manage these tough feelings.  Have a read through the following suggestions and find out what might work for you.

1. Focus on your breathing

When you’re having anxious thoughts try focusing on your breathing, concentrating on the feeling of your body as you breathe in and out. It can help you control the thought. 4-7-8 breathing technique –  Close your mouth and quietly breathe in through your nose, counting to four in your head. Hold your breath and count to seven. Breathe out through your mouth, making a whoosh sound while counting to eight. Repeat three more times for a total of four breath cycles.  Some people find relaxation exercises work too, while others find mindfulness useful.

2. Get moving

Exercise is a good way of dealing with anxiety. Remember, activity doesn’t have to be vigorous; try some gentle stretches, yoga, or seated exercises. Or just go for a walk. Going for a run, swimming, or taking part in a fitness class can give you something else to think about. It needs a bit of concentration, so takes your mind off the anxious thoughts. Any amount of exercise will help.        Read more about how exercise can help improve our mental health.

3. Keep a diary

It’s important that we don’t try to ignore our worries. Taking the time to keep a record of what’s happening in your life and how it’s affecting you can help you understand what is triggering your feelings of anxiety. Knowing this can help you better prepare for and manage situations that may cause anxiety. Sometimes it helps to give yourself a certain time of day to be your ‘worry time’. It could be half an hour first thing in the morning to sit with your worries and write them down in your diary. When that’s out of the way, you can move on with the rest of your day. This can help you take control and stop anxiety getting in the way of what you want to do.

4. Challenge your thoughts

Anxiety can lead us to think about things over and over again in our brain. This is called ‘rumination’ and it’s not helpful. When you catch yourself ruminating, try to write down the thought and to challenge it. Is what you’re worrying about likely to happen? Are you being realistic? Have you had similar thoughts which have not turned into reality? This can make it easier to challenge the thoughts and stop them from overwhelming you.

5. Get support for money worries

A common cause of anxiety is money. If you’re worried about not being able to pay bills, are struggling to repay debt, or aren’t sure if you
can cover your family’s living costs, seek help. Make sure you are claiming all the government supports that you’re entitled to. You can also speak to an organisation such as Citizens Advice or StepChange.  Check out our advice on how to cope with cost-of-living pressures and information on where to get practical support.

6. Spend time in nature

We know that spending time in nature has a positive impact on our mental health. It can help us feel calmer and less stressed. This can be as simple as tending some flowers in a window box or going for a walk in the woods. Any amount of time doing this is good for us, but to really get the benefit, try to spend a significant period of time – maybe an hour or longer – when you can really connect with nature and immerse yourself. Find out more about the benefits of nature.

7. Connect with people and talk about how you feel

Anxiety can feel very lonely. Connecting with other people can help a lot. Spend time with friends or meet other people through activities such as volunteering, sport or social clubs, or peer support groups. If you’re able to talk to people about how you feel, it can help to reduce your anxiety. Sometimes saying what’s worrying you out loud can take away its power over you.

8. Try to get some quality sleep or rest

Resting and having a good night’s sleep is hard when your head is full of worries but there are some things that can help. If anxious thoughts keep you awake, write them down in your diary. If sleep is still not coming, get up and have a drink (nothing with caffeine!) and wait until you’re feeling more tired before going back to bed. Keeping a note in your diary of your sleep patterns, what time you went to bed, what you ate, how often you woke up etc can help you work out a routine that will help you get better quality sleep.

9. Try to eat a healthy diet

For many of us, feeling anxious might cause us to reach for sugary snacks, junk food or alcohol. It’s important that we don’t turn to unhealthy foods or drinks as a way to cope as they will do more damage in the longer term. Similarly, we should avoid smoking or taking recreational drugs. Eating healthy food regularly helps us to regulate our blood sugar and gives us the energy we need to live well. Remember caffeine in coffee, tea and fizzy drinks can affect your mood and cause sleep problems so it’s best to have these in moderation and not too close to bedtime. Find out more about how your diet is linked to good mental health.

Further information and support

If your feelings of anxiety are not going away, are having a negative impact on your life, or often prevent you from doing things you need or want to do, seek support. Speak to your GP or healthcare professional about the support available in your area or contact a helpline service.

Anxiety UK     Anxiety UK was established in 1970 and is run by and for those with anxiety, offering an extensive range of support services designed to help support those affected by anxiety disorders, anxiety and anxiety-based depression.

Services available include:

Helpline services – 03444 775 774, open from 9:30am to 17:30 pm Mon to Friday, along with a text service 07537 416905 and ‘Ask Anxia’ chatbot service, available 24/7 for all anxiety queries at anxietyuk.org.uk. See Helpline services for more information.

Anxiety UK also offer fast access to a range of psychological therapy services, including counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), clinical hypnotherapy & Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, with appointments available in person, online and by telephone. See Therapy services for more information. They also run a range of courses and groups including a popular Art for Anxiety Relief (AfAR) course, anxiety management courses, and online peer-led anxiety support groups. See Support Groups for more information.

At St Joseph’s, we aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing of every member of our school community and recognise how important mental health and wellbeing is to our lives, as is physical health.  We recognise that children’s mental health and overall well being can affect their learning and achievement. This week during Mental Health Awareness Week we will be supporting the children to  enable them to develop the skills, knowledge, understanding, language and confidence to seek help, as needed, for themselves or others.

Mrs S Arthur  

Child Wellbeing Lead                                                                                                                                                       

Here are the dates for this term. Please be aware that these may change, but we will ensure sufficient notice is given.

Parent Dates Summer 2023

What does Kindness mean to you?