Healthy Minds

The main activities are designed for use with learners in upper KS2, KS3 and KS4. Some resources are designed for use by staff and/or for parents.

It is essential to support mental health in schools as statistically 1 in 10 children between the age of 5 and 16 will have a diagnosable mental health disorder. That means that in an average classroom there are 3 pupils who have a mental health disorder. There will also be many more who are struggling with stress and anxiety, relating to school life and home life.

In 2014, Young Minds consulted with over 5,000 young people to find out the problems they are facing in their daily lives. The biggest issue that came out of this was school stress, with 84% ofyoung people saying that schools should help by teaching you how to cope when life gets tough.We know that more than half of adults with a mental health disorder were diagnosed before they reached 14, so it is vital that we help children to understand their mental health and wellbeing, and that we help build their resilience so that they are better able to cope with life.

The resource is split into the following sections:

• Mental health and resilience activities for young people
• Mental health and resilience resources for staff
• No Harm done - materials for staff, parents and young people
• Handy Websites and Apps

Mental health and resilience activities for young people

This section includes resources for an assembly or workshop on mental health and resilience as well as a number of short activities that can be used directly with children and young people to help explore wellbeing and resilience and what things make us feel more resilient. Individual resources can be used as a one off with a class or can be built on over a whole term focusing on emotional wellbeing and resilience. These activities are designed for use with learners in upper KS2 (though not all are-please judge what is appropriate), KS3 and KS4, but can be adapted for other young people as required. Please ensure you read the outline before you start to ensure the resources are suitable for the Key stage you are working with.

Mental health and resilience resources for staff

This section includes CPD resources to help staff understand mental health issues, risk factors, supporting resilience and what they can do to help. Many staff support students with a range of mental health issues. When staff don’t have knowledge in this area and find it difficult to access external support, it can be extremely stressful and worrying. These resources have been designed to support staff for these reasons. There are also a few resources to support staff mental health as it is essential that staff receive the help they need too.

No Harm done - materials for staff, parents and young people

This section includes films and digital packs tackling the difficult subject of self-harm, as this has come up as a common issue in schools that staff are dealing with more often than ever before, but often lack the knowledge and training to deal with confidently. There are three different films and packs, one for staff, one for parents and one for pupils, all of which are voiced by real people sharing their real experiences.

Handy Websites and Apps

This is a document that can be downloaded that are recommended by Young minds to support staff.