Mental Health

Statement of Mental Health and Pastoral Intent

Moral Purpose

We are ambitious for every child, no matter what their background, prior attainment or needs. We are very proud of our community and believe we engender a culture that genuinely cherishes individuality, aims to instil creativity and independence and celebrates open-minded thinking. Underpinned by our values, aspiration, ambition, courage, resilience, respect and honesty, which we encourage all students to embody, we are student focused. We believe that there are no limits for outstanding learning and outstanding achievement. We have high expectations of our students and staff and hold high aspirations for and demonstrate complete belief in, all our students. We are committed to a broad and balanced curriculum and are dedicated to providing a wide range of opportunities that allow students to excel at what they are good at and enjoy as well as developing new talents, supported by excellent pastoral care. We want students to gain transferrable life skills and they will know that they can positively shape their lives through choice not chance.

We want all students to be believe in, and be confident about, their own abilities and demonstrate our values of ambition and aspiration, courage and resilience, honesty and respect.
We want them to be determined and enthusiastic for their own success and take pride in themselves and their achievements. They will understand that they do not have to be a product of their genes or experiences, but that they can choose what and who to become; choice not chance.
We want students to be independent learners who are intrinsically motivated, creative, curious and who are able to problem solve.
We want them to be fluent communicators, with good skills and knowledge enabling them to think critically.
We will facilitate opportunities to increase students’ cultural capital through our knowledge-rich curriculum and co-curricular opportunities.
We will enable students to experience a range of enrichment opportunities and activities that contributes to their character development. They will develop knowledge of how to form healthy, respectful relationships enabling them to become culturally aware individuals who embrace differences and celebrate diversity.
Our aim is that KEVI students are accepting of others’ differences and become responsible members of our 21^st century society. In summary we want them to aspire both academically and personally to be the best version of themselves.

Our working definition of mental health at KEVI:

Mental Health is our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It impacts how we deal with the opportunities and everyday challenges of everyday life, how we interact with others and the choices we make.

At KEVI we believe positive mental health means being in a place where anxiety or negative thoughts are not impacting your ability to function effectively and being able to think, feel and act in ways that brings positive experiences into your life.

What Inclusion and Effective Mental Health Interventions Means To Us

The child stays at the centre of every conversation.
We prioritise those who need our help most, but we intervene with all.
Attendance matters. When young people are here, we can support and educate them.
Young people learn best when there are clear rules and simple consequences.
Staff teach best when there are clear rules and simple consequences.
Students respond well to routines, clear expectations and being informed about change.
We use evidence-based practice for our interventions.

Attendance

Expectations of Each Other

Notes are kept up to date on safeguard, and on the SEN passports.
Tutors work closely with the students in their tutor group in relation to attendance, aspirations and pastoral care.
Staff have read and understood section one of Keeping Young people Safe in Education.
Staff are committed to our disruption free learning and using WMR, our behaviour policy, consistently.
Staff respond to requests for information in relation to students whose learning is vulnerable.
Speak to students, staff and each other with courtesy, respect and understanding.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding students comes above everything else we do.
All staff across the academy have training annually with reminders throughout the year at briefings, staff meetings and inset days.
All new staff have safeguarding training as part of their induction.
All staff at the school recognise that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, that they should have read and understood section one of Keeping Young People Safe in Education 2021, that early intervention is key and that context matters.
All notes are securely kept on Safeguard.
The Pastoral Managers and DDSL are supported by the Vice Principal Pastoral, Principal and Regional Director

Attendance

All staff have a role to play in ensuring each child attends school.
Support begins at tutor level, with support from the Attendance Lead and Heads of House.
Tutors, Heads of House, Pastoral Managers and SLT work to remove barriers to good school attendance.
We work together with external agencies to address and remove barriers to school attendance.
We priorities students who are classed as vulnerable, however, we are passionate about providing the same support to all students irrespective of background.
We follow protocols which are on place, acknowledging that each child and situation is different and adjusting as required.

Behaviour

Good behaviour and disruption free learning allows for teachers to teach and students to learn.
We have a moral obligation to prepare young people for the rigours of work and life beyond education.
We are here to educate the whole child, helping with their moral and personal development.
We apply the protocols for each student, acknowledging that each child and situation is different, adjusting as required.
We priorities students who are classed as vulnerable, however, we are passionate about providing the same support to all students irrespective of background.
We make reasonable adjustments for students with special educational needs or vulnerable students.
When appropriate, support is put in place with students when their behaviour has warranted a sanction.
We involve parents in supporting their child to improve their behaviour.
A good partnership between home and school is important if secondary schooling is to be as effective as possible.

Pastoral Care/Mental Health

Pastoral support is driven by our moral purpose – see previous page
We do not give up on students and constantly look for ways to support them.
Our interventions are directed by evidence-based practice.
Our SEN and pastoral team are keen to improve their expertise in the area of SEMH and mental health.
Students may be put on SEN if requiring something ‘additional to and different from’ in the classroom.
We work with numerous external agencies to support our students.
We recognise that early intervention is vital.
We involve parents as appropriate in the support which we put in to place.
Our interventions are assessed and evaluated using entry and exit assessments.
We provide and ethos and environment that promotes respect and values diversity.
Our work on ‘character’ promotes resilience and supports social and emotional learning.
Positive mental health is central to all we do.
Our House system, which is the bedrock of our community enables students to have a sense of belonging.