Mental Health & Wellbeing at Wookey
At Wookey Primary School, mental health and emotional wellbeing aren’t extra subjects on the timetable, they are the roots of everything we do. Guided by the understanding that “all behaviour is communication,” we prioritise safe, trusting relationships so every child feels heard, supported, and ready to learn.
Key Policies & Downloads
Our Health & Wellbeing Statement
A snapshot of how we nurture emotional health, physical wellbeing, and belonging across our school community.
One-Page Relational Policy ‘In a Nutshell’
A quick-reference visual guide outlining our core relational approach, stepped boundaries, and PACE principles at a glance.
Our Relational Behaviour Policy
How we use positive connection, restorative conversations, and clear boundaries to support children.
Meet Our Wellbeing Team
While everyone at Wookey is part of our wellbeing team, because supporting mental health is a shared, whole-school commitment, these key leads help coordinate our provisions and drive our initiatives forward:
- Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL): Miss Ellie Furner
- Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA): Miss Amy Heath
- Wellbeing Governor: Miss Rachael Venour
- Parent Representative: Miss Audrey Bordier
- Pupil Wellbeing Champions: Keep an eye out for our Wellbeing Champions around school; you’ll spot them by their green lanyards! They look out for upstanders, spread kindness, and act as a friendly, trusted peer for anyone who needs a chat.
Miss Furner, Miss Heath, Miss Venour, and Miss Bordier are all active members of our school Wellbeing Action Group - see below for more information.
Our Wellbeing Provisions & Initiatives
Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
As an NHS-partnered MHST school, we work directly with specialist practitioners to offer early intervention, targeted support, and low-intensity CBT strategies for children experiencing mild-to-moderate anxiety, low mood, or emotional challenges.
Our partnership with MHST includes:
Parent Workshops & Parent-Led CBT: We have run successful workshops and parent-led CBT sessions focused on practical strategies to support children experiencing anxiety.
Whole-Class Pupil Workshops: MHST practitioners have delivered interactive sessions across classes to help pupils recognize, understand, and talk about their emotions.
Upcoming Staff Training: MHST will soon be delivering specialized training for our staff team on embedding the PACE approach and restorative practices even further into our daily teaching.
Collaborative Visioning: Together with our MHST practitioner, we recently completed a collaborative PATH (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope) to chart our school’s long-term wellbeing journey.
Wellbeing Action Group (WAG)
Wellbeing is a whole-community effort. Our WAG brings together staff, parents, governors, and our pupil Wellbeing Champions to listen to our school community, shape initiatives, and drive positive change.
Classroom & Pastoral Support
The Zones of Regulation: Embedded across all classrooms so children can identify big feelings and use personal or class “Tool Boxes” to help themselves regulate.
The Beehive (Nurture Provision): A flexible, small-group nurture setting following Somerset’s Inclusive Curriculum Model. Designed to build psychological safety, self-regulation, and strong learning foundations, it provides tailored, time-limited support so every child can thrive. Discover how The Beehive works in our SEN pages.
Targeted Interventions: Wrap-around support tailored to individual needs, including ELSA sessions, Forest School, Block Therapy, sensory circuits, daily check-ins, and quiet spaces like our Zen Den.
Support for Families & External Links
We know that supporting mental health extends beyond the school gate. For a curated collection of local Somerset services, crisis signposting, and practical parenting guides, please visit our online hub: