A dedicated room focusing on children’s wellbeing has opened at a local primary school this week.
The Hub, a new addition at Camblesforth Community Primary Academy, is a place where staff, parents and children can work together, bringing to life the school’s belief that wellbeing, self-esteem, self-belief, aspiration and understanding the values of a community, are all crucial parts of the jigsaw that help people on their lifelong learning journey.
The Hub was opened on Thursday 14 September, by Dave Barber, Executive Headteacher of the Ebor Academy Trust, in the presence of invited guests, the schoolchildren and their parents.
The Hub will be where much of the school’s restorative and PSHCE (Personal, Social, Cultural & Health Education) curriculum will be delivered. The children will explore themes such as going for goals, getting on/falling out, bullying, new beginnings and changes. Restorative practice is very much part of Camblesforth’s ethos and builds on key values of mutual respect, honesty and trust, values of great importance to Headteacher, Bev Fletcher and her team.
Mrs Fletcher said “Children’s wellbeing is our number one priority and crucial to young people’s learning. Having a place in school where the children feel safe and able to talk about their feelings is vital. At our school and across the Ebor Academy Trust, we stand by our belief that working together to address and resolve problems and worries builds a strong learning environment where children not only feel respected but feel safe to learn and challenge themselves. Our team will work with the children to help them make sense of their feelings and see the world from another person’s perspective.”
Rebecca McGuinn, Wellbeing and Behaviour Specialist for the Ebor Academy Trust adds “Across the multi-academy trust, pupils’ emotional health is high on our agenda, and it gives us real pride to see another of our schools adopt the hub model. It is evident that when pupils feel safe and secure in their school community, their learning accelerates. I feel really excited to see the journey that the children at Camblesforth are about to go on, as they start to learn more about the importance of building good relationships and repairing harm, all key principles to the successful delivery of restorative practice. At a time when child and adolescent mental health services are at an all-time low, we feel morally obligated to do more to prepare our children for the challenges and pressures that face them in today’s society.”
Camblesforth Community Primary Academy is part of the Ebor Academy Trust which now comprises 11 schools across Yorkshire, with a similar number lining up to join.
