Wellbeing is about being comfortable, healthy and happy. Below are resources and things for you to look at that may help you and give you information about things that you are experiencing.
Your school nurse is a qualified nurse with special training. They can support you at school so you can stay healthy and happy.
Your school nurse will visit your class and you can ask to see them on your own too or visit them at a drop in clinic.
Your school nurse will talk to you about health and give you advice on how to look after yourself. They might carry out some tests with you too. For example, if you’re in reception class or year six year 6 they might check your height and weight as part of a government programme called the National child measurement programme.
We also can advise you on topics such as:
- healthy eating
- eating disorder
- dental health
- immunisation and vaccination
- personal hygiene
- emotional wellbeing
- online safety
- starting reception
- transitioning to secondary school
The School Health team also offer support on medical health conditions.
A severe and potentially life threatening reaction to a trigger such as an allergy. Common anaphylaxis triggers includes nuts, milk, fish, eggs, some fruits (e.g Kiwi fruit), insect stings and some medications.
Bullying
Bullying can include:
- People may give reasons for why they bully others but bullying is never right and can never be justified.
- It can happen anywhere, including at home or at school and online. Bullying that happens online is a form of Cyberbullying, this is when technology, such as mobile phones and the internet, including online games is used to bully someone.
- If someone is being bullied it can make them feel miserable and can affect them in many different ways. It comes in many forms such as teasing, spreading rumours, threatening, physically and emotionally harming someone and name calling.
Useful links
Drug and alcohol abuse
Drug and alcohol abuse (also called substance misuse) can include alcohol, drugs or glue. Some people who use substances develop a dependence on them which means that they feel the need to use the substance regularly and find it really hard to stop using it.
Visit one of the websites below for more information:
Eating disorders
Lots of young people worry about how they look and their body and weight. However, sometimes this can start to take over day-to-day life.
Useful links
- Beat - Beat is a charity that provides information about and support for people with eating disorders http://www.b-eat.co.uk.
Emotional wellbeing
Mental health describes the way we think and feel. It can also be called ‘emotional wellbeing'.
We all feel stressed out at times, especially when we feel like we’re under pressure and things are getting on top of us. Having a lot of stress for a long time can become difficult to manage and lead to us feeling very anxious.
If you are finding it hard to look after your mental health and need some help, talk to a grown-up you trust or call ChildLine on 0800 1111.
The websites below can help too
Handwashing
There are hundreds of germs living on your hands. Some are harmless, and some are not. Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself and other people from illnesses. Head to the NHS website to see the best way to wash your hands.
Healthy eating
Healthy eating is not just about sticking to your five a day and not having too many sweets or soft drinks or how many calories in your meal. You should be looking at making sure your plate has all the right foods and the right amount of them.
When it comes to healthy eating, it’s important to get the right balance of foods
Check out the NHS Change4life site for more advice.
Immunisation – Keeping safe from diseases
Immunisation means putting a special type of substance (a vaccine) into your body so that your body can learn how to fight an infection. That way, you will be protected (or immune) from getting sick if someone around you has the germs for that infection. There are immunisations for many different infections, including some nasty ones.
Useful sites
Personal hygiene
As a young person, your body might already be going through a number of changes, or it soon will, so maintaining good personal hygiene and establishing daily routines are important, especially as some of these changes can be a source of anxiety for some people.
Read more on the NHS website.
Puberty
Puberty is when a child begins to grow and develop into an adult. The average age for girls to start puberty is 11 and for boys, it is a bit later, at 12 years old.
Staying safe online
The things you put online can be seen by lots of people and might stay online forever. They are like digital footprints – a trail that people can follow, picking up pieces of information about you.
Useful links:
Sexting
Sexting refers to sending photos through your mobile phone that are of a sexual nature.
Smoking
The nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco cause lots of diseases, like heart problems and some kinds of cancer. If you smoke, you hurt your lungs and heart each time you light up. It also can make it more difficult for blood to move around in the body, so smokers may feel tired. The longer you smoke, the worse the damage becomes.
Testicular care
Testicles are important organs for young men because they produce sperm and the male sex hormones (testosterone) which cause male developmental characteristics, such as a deep voice, chest hair and muscle strength
Useful links
