Rossett School ran a series of activities recently as part of Children’s Mental Health Week, with the aim of providing information and guidance to both students and staff around maintaining a healthy mind.
Students took part in discussions during Form Time about how to improve and maintain their mental health, and they also spent time thinking about who they could turn to during tough times when they feel they need support.
In addition, students have also been offered the opportunity to engage in mindfulness sessions, led by Kim Barrett from North Yorkshire-based company Zen Warriors, which specialises in meditation for children and young people. Using essential oils, vision boards, affirmation cards and aromatherapy, the sessions cover a range of areas including meditative relaxation techniques, coping strategies and self-esteem building, helping students to nurture a sense of calm and affirmation as well as developing tools for resilience.
Staff, meanwhile, have taken part in advanced training with Compass Buzz, an organisation that aims to support schools in providing early intervention for young people experiencing mental health issues.
Headteacher Helen Woodcock said:
As a school, we take the promotion of good mental health very seriously. As well as educating our students on their physical wellbeing, looking at diet, exercise and sleep for example, we also focus on the importance of maintaining a healthy mind. Young people can find their mental health affected by a range of issues, from the pressures of schoolwork and exams, to family and friendships, peer pressure, and expectations about their appearance.
As part of Children’s Mental Health Week 2019, we ran a range of activities for our students, as well as investing in the Compass Buzz training for teachers. Our aim is to use this training to continue to improve our whole school approach to promoting good mental health among both our students and staff.