Stanningley Primary School

What is MindMate?

Here at Stanningley Primary School, we are committed to giving our children the best possible start in life by nurturing their social, emotional and mental health. MindMate helps us to provide a broad and effective framework for SEMH.
MindMate Leeds is a collaboration between young people and professionals in the city, commissioned by NHS Leeds CCG and Future in Mind, Leeds. The organisation was set up to help and support young people (and their families) who are experiencing emotional or mental health issues. You can visit their website for more information should you need it: www.mindmate.org.uk
Because of the way in which the scheme of work was written by a team of experienced professionals, we are confident that we are utilising well proven methods to support our children in developing good relationships, becoming comfortable with their feelings and strategies to cope well with life changes and the more challenging aspects of life that can impact on mental health.
How the lessons are planned
There are six core lessons per year group, one from each of the following themes:

• Feeling good and being me
• Family and friends
• Being the same and being different
• Life changes and transitions
• Strong emotions
• Solving problems/Making things better

In the first week of every half-term, as part of our wider PSHE curriculum, each class will have a specific and focused Mindmate lesson. We strongly believe that we have a duty to support our children to achieve good mental health as this will give them a good basis for learning and future achievement. We use MindMate lessons to explore issues around mental health and well-being in an age-appropriate manner.