09 Feb 2025
This week Aldwickbury School in Harpenden – like many other schools around the country – celebrated Children’s Mental Health Week (February 3-9).
Launched in 2015, the awareness week is run by children’s mental health charity, Place2Be.
This year, the tenth anniversary of the campaign, focuses on the theme of ‘Know Yourself, Grow Yourself’ and links with Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ film.
The campaign, which grows in popularity each year, allows the charity to shine a spotlight on the important work of supporting children’s mental health in schools. Their vision
is for the week is to empower, equip and give a voice to all children and young people in the UK.
The film ‘Inside out’, just in case you have not seen it, has a theme of accepting all emotions as every emotion has a purpose, with parents and carers understandably
prioritising children’s happiness.
The film reminds both adults and children that all emotions are important including sadness, anger and fear. It is an empowering message of how to understand, connect to and accept our feelings and emotions to thrive.
Of course, children’s mental health and wellbeing should not be restricted to just one week a year. Schools in England have a Mental Health Lead, who is dedicated to promoting well-being all year round. Initiatives such as the NHS’ five ways to well-being provide a simple but effective reminder of how to keep our minds and bodies healthy. These apply as much to adults as they do to children: connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give.
Connect
Positive relationships are key to supporting mental wellbeing. Taking time each day to have meaningful conversations and spent quality time with loved ones builds a sense of belonging.
Be Active
Daily movement, whether through play, sports, or outdoor activities, boosts mood and reduces stress.
Take Notice
Paying attention to the present moment can improve emotional regulation. Simple mindfulness practices such as reflecting on what went well each day can encourage self-awareness.
Keep Learning
Nurture curiosity and confidence by supporting new skills, hobbies, and experiences. Helping to boost self-confidence and self-esteem.
Give
Research suggests that acts of kindness, from helping others to expressing gratitude, can support mental wellbeing. This is because it creates positive feelings, connection to others and gives a sense of purpose.
Recent innovations such as the Lumi Nova app for children and families offers digital therapy for 7-12 year olds in order to build resilience and reduce symptoms of anxiety.
In recent years, schools have become an integral part of the wider provision for children’s mental health.
For example, Aldwickbury’s whole approach to mental health is based around a quote from Desmond Tutu: “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”
This is a stark reminder of why it is important to include mental health education in school. It makes sense to give children the tools to look after their wellbeing when they are young, so they are equipped for any potential future challenges.
Mental health lead at Aldwickbury School, Helen Pendell (pictured), explained: “Our approach to mental health and wellbeing is multi-faceted and adapts to the child’s age and stage. We are fortunate to work with the psychologist Dr. Vanessa Moulton of Mindflex and have specific psychological
fitness training for pupils in Years 6 and 8.
“This is in addition to strong foundations through our curriculum along with the various wellbeing campaigns we run through the year.
“As a school, we also see first-hand the benefits that daily sport has on wellbeing and how important it is for children to be outside playing with their friends at break time. Devices stay at home.
“Dr Moulton’s science-based approach helps give our pupils an understanding of how and why their brain behaves in a certain way. They love facts such as the brain processing 11 million pieces of information per second, it consumes 20 per cent of our daily calorie intake and the energy it creates could power a 20-watt light bulb.
“Every year we create a whole-school display to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week. This year we have given all the staff and children a sunflower to decorate with what ‘they know and how they would like to grow’. We place
these sunflowers on the wall of what our pupils consider the most important room in the school, our dining room, where we sit down together as a community to eat every day.
“We’re really proud of our mental health provision, but while schools play a key role, the most important mental health support system is home.
“Children thrive when they have a strong foundation of sleep, nutrition, exercise, and, above all, a loving and supportive environment. That said, the road does not always run smooth for some children.
“Even if it is something you feel is a small issue, please do speak to your child’s school. They will have a mountain of resources, experience and wealth of knowledge to
share. Along with an understanding of where to go next, and if more specialist support is needed.”
