Last week was World Mental Health Day on 10th October and we wanted to make sure that throughout the week we focused and educated our students on all areas of mental health such as:

  • What is mental health? 
  • What are mental health issues? 
  • What is not mental health? 
  • The importance of exercising your brain
  • Strategies to promote good mental health 
  • Why it is good to talk about mental health
  • In school support 
  • Out of school support 
  • Fundraising 

It is essential to make sure that students are aware and knowledgeable about mental health. We support and encourage students to practice today, for success in the future and their adult life. 

We had a program of activities that ran during breaks and lunch times, assembly’s and Year 8 had ‘drop down’ sessions. All the activities were led by our very own Friary students; we have Mental Health Ambassadors throughout the school and the Interact Club in Sixth Form. The Mental Health Ambassadors and Interact Club had stalls at break and lunch time to sell green ribbons, cakes and guess the number of sweets in the jar competition to raise money for mental health charities.

Additionally, we put on some sports activities, yoga/meditation and mindfulness colouring. The lower school Mental Health Ambassadors had the role of promoting positive Mental Health around the school and they asked each tutor group came up with a positive mantra for themselves which they then collated these and produced a beautiful visual display of them all outside the library. 

Elsewhere, our Year 8 students took on some PHSE ‘drop down’ sessions focused on their mental health and well-being which included topics like good sleeping patterns and healthy diet.

We also sent to parents/carers some advice and tips on how to look after your own child’s mental health and seeing the signs. All in all, a positive and insightful week for our students. 

Bex Oldfield, Assistant Headteacher, said: “We very much work to support our children deal with the challenges of mental health brings to everyday. Mental health problems can afflict anyone but there are strategies anyone can deploy – as for most things – which building up resilience to the problem. There is a purpose in being open about mental health, a purpose to flagging up support, and a purpose to developing the strategies to become resilience and independent in dealing with it.”

If you would like to learn more about World Mental Health Day click here.