Wellbeing
At Shenstone School, we are committed to promoting a caring and supportive environment where everyone is valued and respected.
We promote a positive ethos, based on the understanding that all staff and children need the foundations of positive mental health to be able to fulfil their potential academically, personally and socially.
In addition to promoting positive mental health and well-being, we recognise that we may need additional support to maintain or develop good mental health. By developing and implementing practical, relevant and effective mental health and well-being policies and procedures, we can promote a safe and stable environment for everyone affected both directly and indirectly by mental ill health.
We achieved the reaccreditation for Optimus wellbeing award in January 2023 where everything we do as a school to support wellbeing and mental health was celebrated. The information gathered to achieve this reaccreditation then allowed us to continue to think about further development of our wider school community Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
Family Well Being
Dawn Lyman, Shenstone Family Wellbeing Lead
Dawn helps parents and carers with signposting their children for personalised external support. She arranges various sessions/coffee mornings so parents can connect/benefit from useful topic discussions.
- MOVE coffee morning to support parents who have children with physical needs on the MOVE program Weds 8th May 2024 1pm
- Parent Well being coffee morning Fri 7th June 2024 10am
- Internet Safety Workshop 16th April 2024 This workshop supports parents with filtering, online content, screen time and communication.
- Bexley Voice visit Coffee Morning 11th October 2023. Bexley voice came in to support parents and explain all the support that is on offer for pupils in the borough. www.bexleyvoice.org.uk
- Hannah Deakins and Sam Maxwell ran a Speech and Language Therapy training course for Parents/Carers in June 2023. The course focused on adult-child interaction and supports parents to incorporate strategies into their interactions with their child that are designed to develop their communication (https://www.hanen.org/Programs/For-Parents/More-Than-Words.aspx). The course was for parents of children with an Autism diagnosis.
- Cultural Diversity Workshop linked to planning for I AM Festival. Tuesday 2nd May 2023 Parents discussed planning the festival and how to increase parental links to support each other and link closely with the school.
- Parents/Carers Early Years Foundation Stage Learning Through Play Workshop on Friday 24th March 2023 at 9.30am at our Sidcup site.
- Parents/Carers Celebrating the different cultures at Shenstone Coffee Morning on Tuesday 7th March at 9.30am at our Crayford site
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Shenstone School also offers Parent Tours for prospective parents, if you are interested in attending, please email office@shenstone-tkat.org for more information.
If you ever have any queries or concerns, always drop Dawn an email or give the school office a call and they will ask Dawn to get in touch.
Black History Month
Within Black History month the children participated in a wide range of activities, looking at famous black figures.
We listened to music from Bob Marley and Ella Fitzgerald, learned about the explorer Matthew Henson and paralympian Ade Adepitan.
This also included a link to National Poetry week, we listened to poems from Benjamin Zephaniah, plus many more activities.
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BBC Children in Need 2023
We asked Pupils and Staff to wear something spotty or yellow on 17th November and had lots of fun enjoying many activities.
We did not collect any cash donations but raised awareness and encouraged those that wanted to support to do so directly online.
https://donate.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/
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Children's Mental Health week 2024
Week of 5th February – Shenstone School supported Children's Mental Health Week - ‘My Voice Matters’.
Help give a voice to children and young people across the UK in Children’s Mental Health Week, week of 5th February 2024.
Children's Mental Health Week is a mental health awareness week that empowers, equips and gives a voice to all children and young people in the UK.
Children's Mental Health Week was launched in 2015 and each year, hundreds of schools, children, parents and carers take part. Now in its 10th year, our theme is ‘My Voice Matters’.
https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/
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Comic Relief Red Nose Day 2024
We supported Comic Relief Red Nose Day on 15th March 2024, the theme was 'Let’s all get Reddy and have a fun day'! Dressing up was optional. Everyone looked amazing and had a great day.
Comic Relief supports incredible projects and organisations that are making a difference for people across the UK and around the world.
https://www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday/
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Friends of Shenstone Summer Fete 2024 'Tommy's Summer Fete' / Non Uniform Day sponsored by EweMove Bexley & Darford Boroughs
The Friends of Shenstone Summer Fete 2024 'Tommy's Summer Fete' took place on 22nd June at our Crayford site. This year's fete was held in memory of our beloved Tommy.
We held a Non-Uniform day on 24th May, asking for donations for our bottle stall, thank you to all who kindly sent in, we very much appreciate it.
Thank you to the FOS for organising and all of our helpers (staff and parents) and to all who came along. We hope you had lots of fun!
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Fun with Numbers Day
This is held annually.
Children and staff are encouraged to come to school wearing clothing or accessories decorated with numbers.
The Teachers plan lots of fun number activities throughout the first week of February and especially on Fun with Numbers Day.
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Harvest Festival 2023
Our Primary children and staff took part in class assemblies to celebrate Harvest. The children were able to join in with songs / listen to music and throughout the whole school we talked about being kind to our neighbours.
We did not ask for any donations but encouraged those that wanted to do so to support their local foodbank.
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#HelloYellow / World Mental Health Day 2023
We held our Non-Uniform Day on 10th October to raise vital awareness for the charity YoungMinds. By taking part in #HelloYellow we can help to show our young people that they’re not alone with their mental health. By wearing yellow and raising awareness of the charity YoungMinds, we helped to show young people that they matter and that they deserve the support they need, when they need it, no matter what.
It was fantastic to see so many children and staff wearing yellow.
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'I Am' Festival parade and Exhibition
We were very excited to participate in the multicultural ‘I am’ Arts Festival in June 2023 (Sidcup's on 14th June and Crayford on 15th June). Children participated in activities linked to different countries around the world and created artwork that was displayed in an exhibition at school.
We invited Parents/Carers to come along to watch the multicultural parade that the children took part in and then look at all the lovely art work produced by the children.
We were lucky enough to have a local artist come in and produce a 3D piece with the children too!
On the day, we also invited children to dress in their cultural dress, or an outfit or costume of their choice or school uniform. The children created a flag from the country they are from/ originate from to represent.
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Jeans for Genes Day 2023
On 22nd September we asked pupils and staff to wear their denim to raise awareness of the charity Jeans for Genes!
Jeans for Genes is the annual fund raising event for the genetic disorder community.
For further information please email – hello@jeansforgenes.org
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Pride Month (June 2024)
Pupils participated in a range of activities and looked at famous figures within the LGBTQ+ community, explored different family dynamics and enjoyed rainbow art activities.
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Primary Pupils Parents Open Week (Spring 2024)
Week of 5th-8th February.
Thank you for joining us during our primary sites Open Week, it was lovely to see so many of you.
We hope you enjoyed your class session.
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Safer Internet Day 2024
We supported Safer Internet Day on 6th February to raise awareness of a safer and better internet for all, and especially for children and young people.
https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2024
If you would like any symbols you feel will support your child online, then please let your class teacher know and we will get some sent out to you.
For more information, please visit https://www.shenstone-tkat.org/783/online-safety
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Shenstone School's Christmas Fair 2023 / Non Uniform Day sponsored by EweMove Bexley & Dartford Boroughs
We were overwhelmed with your generosity from our Non-Uniform Day on 10th November, we received lots of donations for the Sweet Raffle stall and items for our White Elephant stall for the Christmas Fair on 18th November, the Friends of Shenstone raised over £1600.
Thank you to all who helped out and for the great turn out on the day!
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School Journey for year 6 pupils 2024
We had an amazing time on our Year 6 Residential School Journey at Fairplay House Outdoor Centre in Essex on 7th/8th May. The weather was glorious, the children and staff enjoyed lots of fresh air, country walks, camp fires, zip wire activities and archery as well as lots more...
Big thanks to our super year 6 pupils and fabulous staff team who supported this trip.
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School Productions 2023
We held our Easter Celebration of Learning 2023 for our Primary pupils during the last week of the spring term. It was lovely to see so many Parents/Carers and we hope you enjoyed it too.
Our Crayford Festive Productions 'The Christmas Stories' took place in December, as always our Superstars were superb!
In place of our planned Sidcup Productions we invited Parents/Carers to join us for an arts and craft class activity with their child followed by a Christmas Carol sing-a-long with Carole Church and the class teams. We hope you had a lovely time.
Instead of the Secondary Carol Service we held a mid-morning Christmas Disco on site on the last day of term, it was a fabulous in-school celebration.
The children and staff put lots of time into rehearsing for school productions, huge thanks to Carole for her amazing choreography and production, staff and our superstars.
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Primary Pupils Sports Day 2024
Our Sidcup Sports Day took place on 14th June and Crayford on 21st June.
It was lovely to be able have the Parents/Carers in to see their children taking part in various activities.
Thank you to all who came along.
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Windrush Celebrations/Secondary Carnival
All of our classes had a great time preparing for our Carnival on 25th June to celebrate Windrush.
Thank you to Secondary Parents for joining us, the students have really enjoyed making all the props for upcoming events, working hard and having lots of fun at the same time.
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World Book Day 2024
We celebrated World Book Day on 7th March, everyone looked amazing, thank you to pupils and staff for not only dressing up but also sharing your favourite books and stories with us.
Dressing up was optional, we always have lots of dressing up outfits available in school should children wish to wear them.
Secondary students read and explored activities on the book Matilda, we asked them to wear uniforms as usual.
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World Down Syndrome Day 2024
We celebrated World Down Syndrome Day on 21st March and were proud to support this year’s message ‘End The Stereotypes’.
Believe it or not, socks get people talking! Thank you to everyone who wore mismatched socks or crazy/colourful socks.
The idea was to start a conversation, so when people asked about your socks you could tell them, “I’m wearing them to raise awareness of Down syndrome”.
And then you can tell them everything you want them to know about Down syndrome.
https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/
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World Mental Health Day activities
Pupils had a special assembly with a focus on mental health.
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2024 Shenstone Belvedere Sports Day
PM class were honoured to host the 2024 Shenstone Belvedere Sports Day on 20th June. We managed to put aside the emotional pain of knowing this was the last sports event we ever would hold at this fantastic sporting arena, and LG, DB and PM classes did battle on a range of activities.
DB class were the overall winners but all of the students did amazingly well.