Our Strategic Vision
At Linden Lodge we recognise mental health and wellbeing has an impact on all aspects of our lives - how we feel, function and interact with others.
We are committed to ensuring that across the school community every stakeholder recognises mental health is not solely related to a disability or illness. We firmly believe everyone has a responsibility for actively supporting mental health and wellbeing, whether their own or that of others. By taking a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, we will work collectively to promote an informed, tolerant and inclusive culture; a culture that enables our students and staff to flourish and ensures an appreciation of mental health and wellbeing is central to all we do. We work with the whole school community to support our practice, and have rigorous systems and external partnerships in place to support different types of emotional and mental health needs.
To find out more about our Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy:
Mental Health Support for All
Click on the links to find out what support is available in our community:
Families are also encouraged to email family@wandsworthsss.org.uk or visit The Isobel Family Centre
A Supportive, Safe, Happy and Inclusive Community
Wellbeing Vision statement - created by stakeholder feedback
Working together to promote a safe, inclusive and supportive culture, underpinned by respect and the promotion of effective and timely mental health and wellbeing support systems. Allowing all students and staff to maximise their potential, build resilience and achieve success.
“Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” World Health Organisation
Informed by Attachment Theory, relationship and connection is at the heart of the work that we do, as a protective factor for positive mental health. Attachment Theory is a framework for understanding the first relationships that an infant experiences in the first few years of life. These primary relationships act as a blueprint for how the child or young person will experience relationships and their environment throughout their life. We recognise the impact that sensory impairment(s) may have on our learners, their unique and changing needs, and specialist staff are on-site to deliver personalised and targeted intervention. To read more about how Attachment Theory converts to practice at Linden Lodge, see this presentation by our Mental Health Champions: Attachment Theory at Linden Lodge.
We also recognise the relationship between mental health and behaviour and all staff are trained in Positive Behaviour Support, a person-centred approach to support pupils who may be at risk of displaying behaviours of concern. For more information on Positive Behaviour Support at Linden Lodge, click here.
Wellbeing Passports
Every pupil at Linden Lodge has a Wellbeing Passport, developed to identify and support their unique social, emotional and mental health needs.
Mental Health Champions
Across the school, we have nearly 40 Mental Health Champions who have completed the Place2Be Mental Health Champions Foundation Programme. Mental Health Champions meet monthly to discuss mental health across the whole provision and foster positive wellbeing in our school and community. Click here for a list of trained Mental Health Champions at Linden Lodge.
Mental Health Trailblazer School
Linden Lodge is proud to be a Mental Health Trailblazer School, part of the Wandsworth CCG’s Southfields cluster.
Supportive Networks
How do we measure the impact of our personal development provision at Linden Lodge?
- Pupil’s voices are captured through surveys, careful advocacy, and opportunities to join various committees, including Student Council and the Pride Youth Network.
- Family’s and carer’s voices are captured through surveys, daily communication with teachers, invitations to open discussion forums, and insights from C@LL.
- Staff member’s voices are captured through surveys, daily briefings, weekly meetings, weekly wellbeing check-ins with line managers, and opportunities to join various staff committees.
- Gridmaker is a tracking and reporting system that captures our ongoing personal development provision across the whole school. Check out our live tracking and reporting system here.
- Celebrations of personal development are published in our weekly school newsletter.
Awards
- In 2020, we attained our Pride in Inclusion Award, certified by Educate & Celebrate. Due to be renewed in December 2022.
- In 2021, we attained our Rights Respecting Schools Award, certified by UNICEF. Due to be renewed in March 2024.
- We are currently undertaking our Wellbeing Award for Schools, certified by Award Place and the National Children’s Bureau. Due to be completed December 2021.