Mental Health and Well-Being
St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy is committed to supporting all children's mental health and well-being. Through the use of a tiered approach to support, children are able to access the right support at the right time. This programme of support, alongside our PSHCE scheme aim to support pupils to be able to become resilient learners.
Personal, Social and health Education helps to give pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and to become informed, active responsible citizens. Through PHSE, we endeavour to foster the notions of responsibility and empowerment to promote a sense of achievement and to enhance self-confidence. All PSHE sessions throughout the school will promote positive mental health and wellbeing. PSHE education is guided by the values of:
- Honesty;
- Kindness;
- Trust;
- Responsibility;
- Friendship;
- Self-control;
- Empathy;
- Respect;
- Tolerance
At St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy, we aim to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for our whole school community (Children, staff, parents and carers), and recognise how important mental health and emotional wellbeing is to our lives in just the same way as physical health. We recognise that children’s mental health is a crucial factor in their overall wellbeing and can affect their learning and achievement.
Our role in school is to ensure that children are able to manage times of change and stress, and that they are supported to reach their potential or access help when they need it. We also have a role to ensure that children learn about what they can do to maintain positive mental health, what affects their mental health, how they can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and where they can go if they need help and support.
Our aim is to help develop the protective factors which build resilience to mental health problems and to be a school where:
- All children are valued.
- Children have a sense of belonging and feel safe.
- Children feel able to talk openly with trusted adults about their problems without feeling any stigma.
- Positive mental health is promoted and valued.
- Bullying is not tolerated.
- Children who require support to manage their mental health will be identified and supported quickly.
- We promote the importance of staff mental health and wellbeing.
Healthy Eating
St Maria Goretti Catholic Academy operates a healthy food policy. Pupils in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 are given fruit every day. Children in Key stage 2 may also bring fruit for playtime snacks. In addition through the DFE funded Magic Breakfast programme, the school also provides a nutritional breakfast for every pupil in the form of a bagel or cereal. The Magic Breakfast pupil leads ensure this is distributed equally across the school and in classes where pupils require an additional breakfast. Through our Health and Wellbeing week, each year the school focuses upon healthy lifestyle choices inclusive of a balanced diet and physical exercise.
Diet and Nutrition
According to advice from the Food Standards Agency, a healthy packed lunch should include:
- Meat, fish or a dairy source of protein
- Starchy carbohydrate, such as a wholegrain sandwich, to provide energy
- At least one portion each of a fruit and vegetable or salad
- Water or milk to drink, but diluted fruit juice and yogurt drinks or smoothies are acceptable
The key foods to avoid are:
- Sweets and chocolate
- Snacks, like crisps, with added salt/sugar/fat
- Sugary and fizzy drinks
- Deep-fried foods and processed meats
- White bread - if children won't eat brown, try wholemeal/white combined sliced bread
Chocolate, fizzy drinks and sweets etc. are not allowed.
The Children's Food Trust - an independent body set up to advise schools on healthy eating - says there are no plans to issue statutory guidance on packed lunches, but it has produced some sample lunchbox menus. Click on the link below to see ideas for healthy lunch boxes.
Helpful website to provide cheap healthy meals for families.
NHS - Healthy Weight Children - Advice for Parents
10 Tips for Parents, Kids and Food.
Healthy Eating - A Parent's Guide.
Please see below the school meals menu for 2024/2025
