A whole school approach to the well-being of children and staff is at the heart of what South Wingfield is all about. 

We realise that we need a whole school approach to promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in the children at our school. We believe that if we can teach children to understand their emotions then, not only, will they be happier, but behaviour and learning will improve too.

If we look after staff and value their contribution and unique skills they bring to their work, they will be an effective team that results in happy people who do their best for the children. 

Positive Play

The Derbyshire Positive Play support programme is a unique early intervention programme designed to raise the self-esteem and emotional wellbeing of shy, timid, disaffected and challenging children and young people. It is a home grown programme in Derbyshire of over 20 years.

We are lucky enough to have several trained members of staff here at South Wingfield. 

One to one sessions are delivered in a sensory environment using the natural medium of play. The structured sessions are tailored to meet individual needs, assisting in developing, listening and communication skills, addressing anger management issues and helping children and young people to deal with the consequences of their actions. It is designed to equip children and young people with the necessary resilience, social and life skills to manage the issues that confront them enabling them to access the curriculum and achieve their potential.

Positive Play-Support aims and objectives:

• to allow young people a space to express and communicate feelings and difficulties in their lives, through a variety of media in constructive rather than aggressive ways and in a safe non-threatening environment
• to help young people feel good about themselves and raise self-esteem by providing activities that look at their strengths and by valuing what they do and making it special
• to provide a non-authoritarian, supportive, reliable, safe, unconditional relationship within schools and other settings
• to provide some of the early experiences that may have been missed but which are necessary for formal education and social interaction
• to help young people acquire the complex range of life skills needed to achieve their full potential.
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Sheffield Hallam University have conducted 2 evaluations of the intervention, the second one being a 3 year longitudinal study by Dr J Empson.

“There is statistically supported evidence that positive behaviour change occurs in children who have participated specifically in the Positive Play-Support Intervention”

In conclusion it was stated that the effectiveness was proven that:

“unless a Child or Young Person can manage their social, emotional and behavioural baggage, their achievement in school and their success in life will be significantly limited.”

Ofsted reports defined the programme as

“an early intervention tool, reducing disaffection and encouraging inclusive education.”