Mental Health

I am Jenny Nash, the Designated Mental Health Lead for the Devon Moors Federation and have been since September 2026. I completed my training with Dragonfly: Impact Education in July 2024 and have been the Designated Mental Health Lead for Lympstone Primary since 2023. As Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and a teacher for over 20 years, I feel very strongly that protecting the mental health of our children, staff and family members is vital.

As a Federation, we have been working with the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) for the last three years, with each school either fully on board or soon to be starting the process. Currently, Lympstone, Shute, Kilmington and Upottery all have the MHST working in their schools. Education Mental Health Practitioner’s (EMHP) visit each week to work with children on a one-to-one basis. They also regularly lead training for staff and coffee morning talks for families to attend.

If you ever have questions about, or suggestions for mental health in the Devon Moors Federation, or you have concerns about your child, please contact your schools' Designated Mental Health Lead. Alternatively, let your child's class teacher know, and they can pass on a concern referral to the MHL.

The Mental Health Leads for each school are as follows:

Lympstone CofE Primary: Jenny Nash

Shute Primary: Sophie Percival

Kilmington Primary: Lee White

Upottery Primary: Tom Pettifer

Clyst Hydon Primary: Charlotte Stevens

Spreyton Primary: Emma Donne

Filleigh Primary: Liz Eggleton

Copplestone Primary: Tara Penny

Mental Health at Clyst Hydon

My name is Charlotte Stevens, and I am the Designated Mental Health Lead at Clyst Hydon Primary School.

In 2024, I completed the Place2Be Mental Health Champions Foundation training, which strengthened my understanding of children's and young people's mental health and further developed my knowledge of effective approaches and strategies to promote positive wellbeing within a school setting.

At Clyst Hydon Primary School, we believe that positive mental health and wellbeing are the foundations of successful learning, healthy relationships, and personal growth. Children learn best when they feel safe, valued, understood, and emotionally ready to engage with the world around them.

We recognise that the school day can be busy, stimulating, and sometimes overwhelming. That's why we build opportunities for children to pause, reflect, and regulate their emotions throughout the day. Following break times, classes take part in mindfulness moments, allowing children time to recompose themselves and transition calmly back into learning. These valuable moments help to develop self-awareness, emotional regulation, concentration, and readiness to learn.

We are committed to fostering a growth mindset across our school community. We encourage children to embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, persevere when things feel difficult, and celebrate effort alongside achievement. By developing resilience and confidence, we help children understand that progress comes through practice, determination, and a willingness to keep trying.

Our school garden plays a special role in supporting wellbeing. While it provides opportunities for children to learn about growing vegetables, flowers, and plants, it is also a dedicated wellbeing space where children's minds can grow alongside the natural environment. The garden offers opportunities for reflection, creativity, connection with nature, and moments of calm away from the busy school day.

Every classroom also includes a dedicated regulation and wellbeing area, where children can access resources to help them identify, understand, and express their emotions. These spaces include tools such as the Zones of Regulation, emotional vocabulary displays, and the Blob Tree, enabling children to communicate their feelings in both verbal and non-verbal ways. Importantly, these areas have been developed in partnership with our pupils, ensuring they reflect the needs, interests, and ideas of the children who use them every day. Their contributions have even led to the inclusion of classroom fish, helping to create peaceful and nurturing environments that promote calmness, reflection, and emotional wellbeing.

By placing mental health and wellbeing at the heart of school life, we strive to create an environment where every child feels supported, empowered, and ready to flourish. Together, we are nurturing not only successful learners but also confident, resilient, and emotionally healthy young people who are equipped to thrive both now and in the future.

If you have any questions about mental health and wellbeing at Clyst Hydon Primary School, would like further information about the support available, or have concerns about your child's wellbeing, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We value working in partnership with families to ensure every child receives the support they need to thrive.