The week beginning 16th January saw a focus on ‘Dealing With Stress’ which sought to prepare students for exam pressures, but also to teach them strategies and approaches to help them through the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
Anxiety UK report that recent research suggests that as many as 1 in 6 young people will experience an anxiety condition at some point in their lives. This means that up to 5 people in every class may be living with anxiety, whether that be OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), social anxiety and shyness, exam stress, worry or panic attacks.
This Focus Week saw Alexa-Jane Moore visiting from The National Citizen Service to deliver a ‘Coping With Stress’ workshop to students. Later, our Head of Psychology, Mrs Tyler, led a yoga session and Mr Lightfoot organised a Boxercise class to extol the benefits of physical activity as a means of stress relief. Finally, a classical music workshop pushed the benefits of such music as a means of calming and relaxation.
Carrie Cain, Assistant Headteacher, said: “There is so much research showing the stress facing young people today that we were keen to put in the support and recognise that this issue is one we can all empathise with. The activities were well-thought out and offered an insight both to the problem, but also the solutions. There will be further guidance through the year, especially for those facing summer exams.”
