Health and Wellbeing

Image

At Ark Castledown Primary Academy we value the importance of meal times. We are committed to provide a healthy and nutritious meal for every child alongside the experience of eating meals in a small group alongside adults. We have an onsite kitchen where all our meals are cooked fresh each day.

Pupils learn table manners, how to hold cutlery properly, how to lay a table and have opportunity to experience discussion and dialogue over dinner with support from staff. We place great importance on all our pupils learning these important social skills and therefore this is a part of the school day which is planned for and shared with teachers and other adults.

We also run a breakfast club where children can get involved in a range of activities and receive a nutritionally balanced meal.

School meals

We promote positive mental health for every student and member of staff, and have both a universal whole-school approach to mental health, together with specialised, targeted approaches for vulnerable students.

We also collaborate with children's mental health charity Place2Be. Place2Be is there to help children find ways to cope with difficult feelings or situations, so their worries don't get in the way of their friendships, their learning or how they feel about themselves. Place2Be's professionals work with individuals one-to-one or in small groups, giving regular support for pupils who need it. Place2Be always gets agreement from parents or carers before they support an individual through one-to-one counselling, and meet with parents or carers regularly to keep them updated.

Image

We want our pupils to appreciate the benefits of a healthy and physically active lifestyle. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 take part in two planned sessions of physical exercise each week. We also offer a variety of sports and dance clubs lead by school staff and visiting professionals both before school, at lunchtime and after school.  For further information about Clubs, please visit our Club section.