Mental Health Awareness

Posted at 12:40 pm on 13th December, 2018

The Healthy Learning Trust Schools Sports Partnership recently hosted it’s inaugural event of ‘Scholarship through health and well-being’ at Flixton Girls School. This, the first in our scheduled programme of events, centered around ‘Mental Health Awareness’ in a school setting and the associated issues raised by students and staff locally, as well as nationally.

This centralised programme of development will be rolled out over the coming months, including more in-depth guidance, forming part of our provision of CPD to our local schools who have committed to this programme enabling all parties to share good practice and toolkits for use within their own environment.

The Healthy Learning Trust School Sports Partnership works in partnership with Ashton on Mersey School to provide the School Games Competition in Trafford. It also works closely with local schools ensuring that young people across Trafford have access to high quality PE, School Sport and physical activity, creating a sustainable legacy within schools.

Feedback was universally positive with attendees saying:

• “This is the most thought provoking course I have attended in my 15 year teaching career.
• “Thank you for such an informative and engaging course”
• “Enjoyed it a lot. Some good practical examples and talking to other people on other schools helped. Also the booklet with activities will be very helpful!”
• “The course was great. As someone new to the role of mental health lead in school, it has given me lots of information to take back and feedback to staff to help the children. Thank you!”

Sarah Powell, Health & Wellbeing lead at FGS and event coordinator quote said

“I thoroughly enjoyed delivering this event to staff from our local primary schools and am so pleased that it was found to be useful and worth the day out of school!  The delegates got stuck into all of the activities and enjoyed the collaboration and discussion opportunities between different schools so they could share good practice!  I am glad they took some new information from the course that they can use within their jobs on a daily basis.  We are going to be running another course in the new year which will be looking at teacher mental health which I hope will be just as well-attended.  Thank you to everybody who came for making it an excellent day!”

Urmston Primary staff member Liz Billingsley said: ‘The statistics around mental health are shocking but this environment has assisted me in recognising the situation we are all in. The resources provided will enable me to engage a whole class and generate well rounded pupils, rather than focusing on individual concerns. I will be sharing the toolkit with all staff back at school.’

Matt Keen, also from Urmston Primary commented: ‘I have been teaching for fifteen years and this is the most thought provoking course I have ever attended.’

Angela Dobric explained: ‘This is a very helpful and productive course – and a great use of time outside of my school environment. Lovely to share experiences and network with like minded staff to create a better way of dealing with mental health issues for students, families and staff.’

To find out more about the Healthy Learning Trust and the School Sports Partnership please visit the Trust website - https://www.healthylearningtrust.org.uk/ .