Wellbeing and Mental Health
It really important to look after your mental health. Emotional well-being is a clear indicator of academic achievement, success and satisfaction in later life. We are committed to developing and maintaining positive emotional and mental health and general wellbeing in our school community for both students and staff. We believe that happy, secure students learn more effectively and are more confident and motivated with their studies.
We actively encourage students to talk to someone about their feelings, to put matters into perspective. Students can talk to anyone in school they feel comfortable with.
The school also offers a counselling services to any student who needs it.
If you have concerns about your child or your child feels they would benefit from additional support there are many places that can help:
Telephone helplines / Online Support:
Samaritans – Free Call 24 hours a day 116 123
Shout Crisis Text Line – Text Shout to 85258
Childline – Call 0800 1111
Kooth – Free, safe and anonymous online support for young people – available till 10pm
NSPCC – Call 0800 1111
Generic emotional well-being & mental health links
- https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/ Website that has details of books, weblinks, apps, videos and contains resources around emotional / mental health
- https://www.healthyyoungmindsinherts.org.uk/parents-and-carers Healthy Young Minds
- https://youngminds.org.uk/ Young Minds – Children and Young people’s mental health charity. Filled with information and have a parents helpline
- https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/ This is the website developed to support the work of the Princes and their Heads Together campaign.
- https://www.themix.org.uk/ The Mix is a young people’s website filled with info and resources on emotional and physical health.
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/ Mood self assessment and online audio guides
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MindEd for families is a free online educational resource on children and young people’s mental health for all adults, which can support parents and carers through these exceptional circumstances.
Anger
- Printable worksheets for teens on managing anger https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheets/anger/adolescents
- Great resource for teens on managing anger https://www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk/anger.asp
Anxiety
- https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people/information-for-parents-and-carers/worries-and-anxieties—helping-children-to-cope-for-parents-and-carers For Parents
- https://cedar.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/facultysites/hls/cedar/resources/2018CLES039_CEDAR_Managing_Your_Worries_(Interactive).pdf Managing Your Worries CBT guide for young people
- https://www.heysigmund.com/anxiety-in-teens/ Anxiety in Teens
- https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/conditions/anxiety/ Young Minds information on anxiety
- https://nopanic.org.uk/resources/ Many self help and other resources looking at anxiety, phobias and panic attacks.
Bereavement
- Winston’s Wish https://www.winstonswish.org/ – Young People’s area https://help2makesense.org/
- Child Bereavement UK https://www.childbereavementuk.org/
- Hope Again https://www.hopeagain.org.uk/ Website for bereaved teens
- Grief encounters - https://www.griefencounter.org.uk/
Eating issues
- https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ Fantastic source of resources around problematic eating and eating disorders for young people and parents / carers.
- https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/parents-guide-to-support-eating-problems/ Supporting a young person with eating problems.
- https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/my-feelings/eating-problems/
- https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/uploads/documents/2017/10/carers-booklet.pdf A guide for parents / carers supporting a young person with an eating disorder
N.B. Useful advice for parents around eating disorders and what to look out for can be found here: I'm worried about my child's eating habits - Support for Parents from Action For Children
Equality
- https://lgbt.foundation/ - LGBTQ
- https://www.stonewall.org.uk/young-futures/supporting-lgbtq-young-people
Parents (Factsheets)
- https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people/information-for-parents-and-carers/worries-and-anxieties—helping-children-to-cope-for-parents-and-carers Worries & Anxiety
- https://www.justtalkherts.org/media/documents/toptipsforparents.pdf
- Understanding Childhood (all age ranges) http://www.understandingchildhood.net/our-leaflets/
- https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/parents-guide-to-support-anxiety/ Parents guide to supporting anxiety
- My teen brain – https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/childcare-and-advice-for-parents/parents-and-family-support/my-teens-brain/my-teen-brain.aspx Information for parents on teens and how their brains develop and the impact this can have on behaviour.
Resilience
- https://positivepsychology.com/resilience-activities-worksheets/ Resilience worksheets
- https://d1uw1dikibnh8j.cloudfront.net/media/15030/my-self-care-plan-secondary.pdf Pack on building resilience
- https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/media/257099/resilience-toolkit.pdf Resilience toolkit for young people.
Apps & Websites
General Wellbeing
#1 App for Mindfulness and Meditation. (Available on iOS, Android & Web) https://www.calm.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkrGQ5u3e6wIVB_hRCh2oVgiEEAAYASAAEgJI4fD_BwE
Breathe2Relax
Browse and read reviews of the best breathwork apps here:
https://breathlessexpeditions.com/the-best-breathwork-apps-this-year/
Stress Check by Azumio
This app takes you on a deep breathing exercise to promote calmness and can bring your heart rate down in five minutes. The app provides instant feedback with breath and pulse monitoring and tracks long-term progress. (Available on Android)
https://www.stress.org.uk/individual-stress-test/
The Happify app is a way to make a game of all the positive psychology tricks you know might work. You will start by taking a quick test that assesses the areas of happiness you should work on. Then, you’re presented with a few “tracks” that can help get you to your goals. (Available on iOS and Android)
TEllMli
An award winning free fully moderated app for teens, which provides peer support, expert help, inbuilt educational and creative resources as well as in app links to UK charities and helplines. TellMli allows young people to experiment with what it feels like to open up without drawing attention to themselves while positive feedback and social support builds confidence, increases wellbeing and promotes emotional resilience. (Available on iOS and Android)
Anxiety
SAM is an application to help you understand and manage anxiety. (Available on iOS and Android)
When you log in it gives you different tips to help you relieve stress/anxiety. There are tabs for meditation, deep relaxation, self-hypnosis, and more. (Available on iOS and Android)
https://www.feelstressfree.com/
An app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It can help you change how you think about anxiety. (Available on iOS and Android)
https://healthyyoungmindspennine.nhs.uk/resource-centre/apps/mindshift/
Trying to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life? This app can help you launch into a regular practice of mindfulness meditations. (Available on iOS and Android)
https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app/
Anxious minds are a charity that was set up by sufferers of anxiety and depression, to provide free support to all suffers of anxiety and depression. (Available on Android)
https://www.anxiousminds.co.uk/
This journaling tool has a simple user interface where users can log instances of worry, fear, and anxiety. They can also add the outcome of each situation, which provides a comparison between expectation and reality that helps reduce anxiety over time. (Available on iOS)
Depression
What’s Up? Anxiety App
This app uses CBT and ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) methods to help you cope with Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Stress and more. (Available on iOS and Android)
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/whats-up-a-mental-health-app/id968251160
WellMind is your free NHS mental health and wellbeing app designed to help you with stress, anxiety and depression. The app includes advice, tips and tools to improve your mental health and boost your wellbeing. (Available on iOS and Android)
https://www.wellmindhealth.com/
Self-Harm
Calm Harm provides tasks that help you resist or manage the urge to self-harm. You can add your own tasks too and it’s completely private and password protected. (Available on iOS and Android)
BlueIce
A prescribed evidence-based app to help young people manage their emotions and to reduce urges to self-harm. It includes a mood diary, toolbox of evidence-based techniques to reduce distress and automatic routing to emergency numbers if urges to harm continue. (Available on iOS and Android)
https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/blueice/
Suicide Thoughts
A free, national suicide prevention pocket resource, packed full of useful info to help you stay safe. It offers help and support both to people with thoughts of suicide and to those concerned about someone. (Available on iOS and Android)
https://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/find-help-now/stay-alive-app/
Eating Disorders
Recovery Record: RE Eating Disorder Management
This draws on CBT and self-monitoring methods to help manage eating disorders. Users can keep a food journal, make meal plans, and learn coping methods. (Available on iOS and Android)
https://www.recoveryrecord.co.uk/
Rise Up – Eating disorder recovery
Rise Up + Recover is an app for people struggling with food, dieting, exercise and body image. The app is based upon self-monitoring homework, a cornerstone of CBT. (Available on iOS and Android)
Diet Or Disorder
The app provides tools to support and empower those who might have an eating disorder and well as their loved ones. Providing a host of information in a portable format, the app gives psycho education about eating disorders, including decisional tools to help identify an eating problem. (Available on iOS and Android)
Body Image
Good Blocks
A free app designed to improve your mood, self-esteem and body image. It helps you train your mind to reject negative thoughts in a fun and creative way. (Available on iOS and Android)
Created by a group of bereaved young people working directly with Child Bereavement UK. It has been developed for 11-25 year olds who have been bereaved of someone important to them. It can also be used by friends, teachers, parents and professionals who would like to know how to support bereaved young people. (Available on iOS and Android)
Smiles and Tears
It provides an interactive tool to record memories, send gifts and write thoughts, feelings and emotions. As well as these interactive tools, Smiles and Tears have also provided tips on how to manage emotions such as anger, confusion, guilt, loneliness etc. (Available on iOS and Android)
Sexual Harassment
Zipit
If someone is sexually harassing you or asking you to send them naked selfies, the free Zipit app by Childline lets you respond with smart GIF put down. The app also contains tips on how to be safe during intimate chats and you can call Childline from within the app too. (Available on iOS and Android)
Bright Sky
A free app providing support and info for anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or those concerned about someone they know. It features a unique UK-wide directory of specialist domestic abuse support services, so you can contact your nearest service by phone from the app, searching by area name, postcode or using your current location and a secure My Journal tool, where incidents of abuse can be logged in text, audio, video or photo form, without any of the content being saved on the device itself. (Available on iOS and Android)
Sleep
Relax Melodies
Combining over 100 relaxation sounds, melodies, binaural beats and white noise, Relax Melodies allows you to create your very own relaxing soundscapes. Play them all night or for a determined period of time, thanks to its built-in timer. (Available on iOS and Android)
Pillow Automatic Sleep Tracker
Sleep better with Pillow, your smart sleep assistant. Pillow can analyse your sleep cycles automatically using your Apple Watch, or you can use Pillow without an Apple Watch by placing your iPhone or iPad on the mattress near your pillow. (Available on iOS)
