Health & Wellbeing
At Deanshanger Primary School, we understand the need for everyone in our school to lead healthy lifestyles. We are committed to the health and wellbeing of our children and staff and we know it helps them to do their best and build upon their achievements. We actively promote physical and emotional health and equip our pupils with the understanding and skills they need to make informed decisions about their health, both now and in the future.
For more information, the following links might be useful -
Young Northants - advice for mental health and stress in young people
Milton Keynes Specialist Child and Mental Health Specialists (CAMHS) for parent information.
Milton Keynes Specialist Child and Mental Health Specialists ( CAMHS) for children and young adults
BNTO Committee (Be Nice to Others), formerly known as Anti-bullying Committee
The school is committed to ensuring that all children in the school feel safe and happy. A committee was set up in January 2016 in order to share the views of stakeholders and ensure that the profile of pupil happiness and anti-bullying was high in the school. In January 2017, we shifted the focus from mainly anti-bullying following guidance from our Parent Action Group (PAG) and Ofsted. The children came up with the new name BNTO. We relaunched our committee with a #BNTO@DPS Awareness Day on 20th February 2017 with an inspirational assembly visit by Ben Smith ( 401 Challenge -http://www.the401challenge.co.uk/). The BNTO group continues to be active and very enthusiastic about positively impact on pupil wellbeing.
NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS VERY WELCOME -CHILDREN AND ADULTS
- Click here to find out more from the DfE about Bullying at School
Actions to date
Anti-bullying display and worry/bully box; bought new books for the library; built a survey to understand the extent of issue in school; invited in a theatre company to focus on behaviour and bullying including E-safety; revision of PSHE curriculum to ensure it has anti-bullying strands throughout it and analysed survey results; Anti-bullying Policy, relaunch of committee as BNTO, BNTO Awareness Day, Visit by Ben Smith, whole school parade with BNTO messages and updating school leaflet on school expectations, BNTO video, BNTO whole school song and BNTO led assemblies including a fabulous one involving the community and the Co-op!
Healthier Child Project
Previously, we enrolled in the award-nominated Healthier Child Project in partnership with Northants County Council. We worked with Paul Evans, a Healthy Child Consultant, to incorporate aspects of the Healthier Child Initiative into our school day, addressing all areas of health and wellbeing. As a result of this work, a Danish TV crew came into school in recognition of our work to promote healthy lifestyles! This news item was aired on Danish TV!
Healthy Lifestyles continue to be regularly promoted in school assemblies, PSHCE lessons, SNAG group, through topic work and at School Council meetings. We are also using our Sports Premium Grant to provide high-quality PE opportunities for all pupils and ensuring that staff have further professional development to improve their PE teaching. We are constantly looking out for new opportunities to get all children active and involved and have recently taken part in archery and orienteering activities.
Mental Health
We actively promote physical and emotional health and equip pupils with the understanding and skills they need to make informed decisions about their health, both now and in the future. We prioritise the mental well-being of our children by regularly and openly encouraging them to share problems and concerns. Mrs. Mildren and Mrs Tapp, our Learning Mentors, are free to spend time with children and their families that need additional support at any time and all staff have great listening ears too! We have developed a well-being garden and a sensory pod to provide quiet break-out spaces for students - we are constantly adapting our learning environment for individual needs.
The Listening Ear runs daily in the Wrap Club from 12.30-1.00pm - this is led by either Mrs. Nicky Tapp or Mrs. Lynn Mildren.
On Monday afternoons, there is a whole school mindfulness session (on Zoom) - a chance to focus on a variety of strategies to support good mental health and self-awareness.
Healthy Eating
We encourage all children to have healthy snacks at break time. In Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, fruit and vegetables are provided through the Fruit for Schools Scheme, but this healthy trend continue in Key Stage 2 too as we buy daily fruit and vegetable items for our students in KS2 too. We also promote healthy lunches whether these are the hot school dinners provided by Fresh Start, or in lunchboxes brought from home. Since we are so proud of our freshly prepared hot lunches, we are keen for a high take-up across the school, particularly our children in FS and KS1 where lunches are free of charge.
As well as providing free milk for under 5s and children receiving pupil premium support, we encourage everyone to drink plenty of water at lunchtime and throughout the school day. Every child and staff member has a school water bottle to encourage a high consumption of water.
We encourage a calm and ‘home-like' atmosphere at lunchtime. Children are encouraged to use their manners, eat quietly and try new foods. We have Top Table Lunches whereby children that have regularly demonstrated school values at lunchtime and made good food choices, are selected to be on the Top Table for a treat. Staff and governors join this special lunch.
- Click here to read our School Food Policy
- Click here to view the Lunchbox Guidance leaflet
- Click here to view further Lunchbox Guidance
Healthy body
Since a high majority of our families live in the village, it is great to see them walk to school on a regular basis. We also have a high percentage of children arriving on scooters or bikes. There is parking for these at the side of KS2; we encourage all children to wear helmets whilst riding them.
For families that drive to school, we advise you to drive very slowly in the vicinity of the school and watch out for those arriving on foot, bikes or scooters. Parking is very limited outside our school.
Run a Mile in Style - in line with The Daily Mile
Following the success of Sports Relief and running a mile for charity, we launched ‘Run a Mile in Style' in April 2016. All children in the school are encouraged to run a mile from 8.30am on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday and adults are warmly invited to join them too. Mrs. Young and a team of volunteers from year 5 and 6 help with the organisation. In assemblies, we celebrate the achievements as the children gradually build up their miles. When they have clocked up 50 miles, they are awarded a special house t-shirt which can be worn for PE sessions and the annual Sports Day. In the last school year, we even had 3 children complete 100 miles!
Why run a mile before school?
It helps improve focus, concentration, and behaviour in class.
Physical activity is known to improve attainment.
It embeds daily physical activity into our approach to Health & Wellbeing.
The children are much fitter and can access Sports and P.E. more readily.
Children become more aware of their health and the need to take responsibility for it.
Improves body composition – bone density, muscle strength and cardiovascular health.
Helps children achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Overall balance, gross and fine motor skills are enhanced.
Supports improvement in self-efficacy, satisfaction, and happiness.
PARENTS, YOU ARE ALWAYS VERY WELCOME TO JOIN US