It is Children’s Mental Health Week (1st – 7th February) and this year’s theme is ‘Express Yourself’!

Our Student Support team have been working hard to pull together a fantastic series of films to share with our students to support their mental health and wellbeing, and they hope that these films will be useful for staff and the wider School community too!

The timetable of the week’s activities can be viewed here. A session which is particularly aimed at parents called ‘Time-Out’ is available to watch on Youtube here.

The films include a number of teachers and Old Blues sharing how they express themselves to support their own mental health and well-being:

• Old Blue Imran Mahmood / writing crime fiction
• Key Stage 4 Leader Mrs Baker / being a collector
• Old Blue Simon Hands / a cappella singing
• Student mentor Georgia / fashion
• Maths teacher Ms Barwell / baking triple chocolate cookies / cookies
• Geography teacher Miss Nock / embroidery
• Student Support Coordinator Charlie Cobain / performing arts
• Old Blue Simon Cheung / exercising, playing music & sleep
• Head of English Mr Kershaw / being outside with his dog Shane
• PE teacher Mrs Driffill / exercising
• Head of Languages Mrs Ward / writing poetry
• Old Blue Dan Greenway / listening to music & podcasts
• Biology teacher and SENDCo Mrs Lewis / jigsaws
• Old Blue Alistair Rutherford / playing music
• Head of History and Politics Mrs Heery / learning to play an instrument
• Mr Shipgood, Mrs Bakstad and Mr Watkins

We also have some great films for the School community to get involved with:

• Join PE teacher Mrs Driffill in an aerobics workout
• 5 top tips on how to keep your mind healthy from Chloe Hannigan / Train Your Brain
• Make a healthy mocktail with Key Stage 3 leader Mr Carney
• Take part in a meditation session with Little Sunshine Mindfulness and Yoga
• Take part in a mindfulness session with Little Sunshine Mindfulness and Yoga

All the films can be viewed on Vimeo by clicking here.

We have challenged our students to share with us how they express themselves to support their mental health and wellbeing. Students can send short films to welfare@bluecoatschool.org.uk and these will be compiled into a film to be shared with the School community too.