Having a healthy sense of mental wellbeing has many benefits, it lifts your mood, promotes resilience in difficult situations and helps you get the most out of life. Taking a few moments for yourself each day will help you be happier and become more resilient . Throughout the year we hold three focused Mental Health Awareness Weeks, the first of which took place during the week commencing 29th of November. 

Each week will have a slightly different focus. The focus for the one in November was on raising awareness and understanding our emotions. The pandemic and especially the lockdowns have affected lots of people in different ways. Students learnt that anyone can be affected by low moods. They learnt that having a growth mindset and doing new challenges can create a healthy mind and contribute to overall wellbeing. 

 Each year group had a focused assembly that introduced students to what we mean by mental health. There were case studies of people who showed signs of needing support, this allowed students to recognise what to look for and where to go for help both within school and externally. During the assembly, students were also introduced to the weekly challenge card, encouraging a wellbeing strategy per day to create a healthy mind eg going for a walk, decluttering, and doing something nice for yourself. Each completed card is awarded an achievement point and put into a draw to win one of two infinity pads or a wellbeing journal. 

 The Citizenship department reinforced the importance of mental health by dedicating 20 minutes of the start of each lesson that week on mental health and developing a growth mindset. Students learnt about some of the language associated with someone who has poor mental health and were introduced to different conditions along with the stigma and negative stereotypes that someone can be labelled with. 

 Over lunchtime, students were able to visit the mental health and wellbeing desk where they were able to pick up leaflets and ask for advice. They were offered advice on sleep, creating a healthy mind and tips for supporting a friend. The library also showcased a display of the wellbeing books that are available for loan. These can be loaned at any time.

Students were finally introduced to the Wellbeing Fair that is running in January. We have managed to secure a number of agencies to come into school on Tuesday 11th January. Staff, students, and parents will be able to ask for advice and find out more about the work these agencies and charities do. 

 Our next Mental Health week starting 10th January will focus on practical strategies to create a healthy mind such as relaxation methods.