Focusing Minds Continues Support at St Thomas’ Junior School, Featherstone

Focusing Minds CIC — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Focusing Minds and St Thomas’ Junior School support will continue into a second academic year following the positive impact of our work with pupils in Featherstone. The partnership began shortly after Easter and has provided children with targeted support for their social, emotional and mental health needs

Focusing Minds St Thomas' Junior School Partnership

The partnership gives pupils access to individual support during the school day.

Every child is different. Because of this, we plan sessions around the needs of each pupil.

Building a positive relationship is also important. We want children to feel safe and comfortable during their sessions.

This can make it easier for pupils to talk about their feelings. It also helps them discuss any problems they may face.

Together, we can then find simple ways to help. Children can use these ideas at school, at home and in daily life.

Supporting SEMH Needs in Featherstone

St Thomas’ Junior School uses Focusing Minds to support pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

Rebecca Spellman, Pastoral Leader at the school, has praised the impact of the service.

Rebecca described the work with children as “exceptional”. She also praised our focus on building relationships and meeting the needs of each child.

The school has seen pupils grow in confidence. Children are also using ideas from their Focusing Minds sessions in the classroom.

These are positive signs of progress.

These are important signs of progress.

Positive Feedback From St Thomas' Junior School

Rebecca said the school is “excited to continue working with Focussing Minds next academic year”.

She also said she would highly recommend the service to other education settings.

This feedback means a great deal to us. It shows the value of putting each child at the heart of their support.

The Focusing Minds St Thomas’ Junior School partnership will now continue into another academic year.

How Focusing Minds Supports Pupils

Focusing Minds provides early support for children and young people who may need extra help in school.

Our sessions are person-centred. This means support is shaped around the needs of each pupil rather than using the same approach for everyone.

Depending on the child, sessions may focus on:

understanding and managing emotions;
building confidence and self-esteem;
developing coping strategies;
improving communication;
dealing with worries or anxiety;
building positive relationships; and
improving engagement with school.

We also work closely with school staff. This helps us understand the needs of each pupil and identify areas where support may be useful.

At St Thomas’ Junior School, this approach has helped pupils take strategies from their sessions back into the classroom. This is one of the key benefits highlighted by the school.

That gives someone arriving from Google considerably more information about what Focusing Minds actually provides, rather than the article being primarily an announcement.

Local School Support From Ossett

St Thomas’ Junior School is close to our support base in Ossett, Wakefield.

Working with local schools is an important part of what we do. It also helps us build strong links with staff and pupils.

Focusing Minds works with schools across Wakefield and West Yorkshire.

We can help pupils with mental health, wellbeing and SEMH needs. Our work can also focus on confidence, personal development and engagement with school.

Above all, we want children to learn useful skills. They can then use these skills long after their sessions have ended.

Building Longer-Term School Partnerships

Continuity can be an important part of effective pupil support. By continuing our work at St Thomas’ Junior School, we can build on the relationships already developed with pupils and staff.

A longer-term partnership also gives us more time to understand the needs of the school. Support can then respond to those needs as they change throughout the academic year.

For pupils, familiar support can make it easier to talk openly about challenges. It can also give them more opportunities to practise the skills discussed during sessions.

For school staff, continued support provides another resource for pupils who may benefit from early help with their mental health, wellbeing or personal development.

We are proud to provide this support locally and to strengthen our relationship with St Thomas’ Junior School.

Looking Ahead to Another Academic Year

Schools looking for SEMH and mental health support in Wakefield and West Yorkshire can find out more about our Education and School Services.

Focusing Minds provides flexible, person-centred support for schools and their pupils. This includes support with mental health, wellbeing, SEMH needs, confidence, personal development and school engagement.

Could Focusing Minds support pupils in your school? If you’re school is looking for SEMH and mental health support in Wakefield and West Yorkshire can contact Focusing Minds to find out how we can help.

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