Mental Health in Primary Schools - Strategic Leadership Planning

https://player.vimeo.com/video/778714789

[On-screen text: The Department of Education and Training Victoria are working in partnership with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and The University of Melbourne to support Mental Health in Primary Schools.

The MHWL model referred to in this resource was developed by the Centre for Community Child Health by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Melbourne Graduate School of Education the University of Melbourne]

[Students in the classroom playing with slime and reading a book]

[On-screen text: Whole School Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing]

[On-screen text: Scott McCumber, Principal, Ocean Grove Primary School]

Scott McCumber: So our whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing really stems from our social and emotional learning wheel.

[Shots of emotional learning posters on the exterior of the primary school]

Scott: We’ve created some real visual stimulus around the school so that the parents know exactly what we’re talking about.

[On-screen text: Gita Peterson, Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, Thomastown West Primary School]

Gita Peterson: We started using the Be You Mental Health Continuum because it was introduced to us through the program.

[Close up shots of students inside the wellbeing room, including an activity wall of students’ messages and what they are grateful for]

Gita : It’s a wonderful tool because you don’t have to be a mental health practitioner or expert to use it. It’s very common sense.

[On-screen text: Andy McNeilly, Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, Ocean Grove Primary School]

Andy McNeilly: A whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing is having all staff on the same page. That’s why we run staff professional learning sessions about identifying mental health challenges and about where to go next.

[On-screen text: Sandi Young, Principal, Thomastown West Primary School]

Sandi Young: Time is spent to build teacher capacity, so that they can implement best practice to support and improve mental health and wellbeing at our school.

[Close up shot of students with activity ball, student decorating small rock with texta and students building lego]

Andy: Tier one interventions is so important to help children build their resilience and to develop their own mental health literacy so they can be better at solving their challenges.

[Close up shot of student playing with slime and students playing with animal hand-puppets in classroom]

Gita: The Mental Health Plan tool helps us look at the data. It tells us where we should be looking. Then that in turn helps us decide where we need to be putting our attention and how we can best support our students and our teachers.

[Students in the playground tying their shoes, climbing on the playground and engaging in a group hug]

Sandi: We utilize the Pat Suey data as well as the Attitudes to School Survey data and informal surveys that we’ve created.

Scott: We’ve seen a significant improvement in our data in the Attitudes to School Survey.

[Close up shots of the classroom walls featuring posters with positive messages and close up shots of students smiling in the classroom]

Sandi: The Mental Health Fund is going to give us wider access to the mental health programs that we need.

Andy: As the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, I’ll use the fund to find specific workshops and outside agencies that will be the right fit for our school.

[Shots of Andy McNeilly in the classroom with students, handing out cards and talking]

Scott: So with a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader and the fund, it’s certainly raised our awareness of what resources and organizations are out in the wings that are willing to engage and support schools, school leaders, teachers, students and the wider community. It’s certainly opened up our eyes to what is out there, and we welcome them all in as best we possibly can.

[Various shots of students in the classroom engaging in activities]

Gita: Now that we have mental health in primary schools, I think the whole school thinking has changed. We’re a lot more aware that when we’re implementing new initiatives or programs that we really need to be looking at it through a mental health and wellbeing lens.

Andy: There are still quite a few people in the community who don’t understand my role fully, that is, to mainly build staff capacity.

[Students sitting around table in classroom, students on lounger in the quiet area and students colouring in rocks with textas]

Andy: I work with classes and I work with whole staff, but I do work with parents doing workshops to develop their mental health literacy and capacity to be preventative and also to identify any concerns.

[On-screen text: Schools to visit Mental Health in Schools PAL education.vic.gov.au/pal/mental-health-schools/policy for further advice, guidance and resources for implementing Mental Health in Primary School.

[Logos for Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Department of Education and Training]

Updated 8 March 2023

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Mental Health in Primary Schools - Strategic Leadership Planning

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