Friday Bulletin – 11th May 2018

Dear Parents and Carers,

Mental health problems affect about 1 in 10 children and young people. They include depression, anxiety and conduct disorder, and are often a direct response to what is happening in their lives.

The emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Most children grow up mentally healthy, but surveys suggest that more children and young people have problems with their mental health today than 30 years ago. That’s probably because of changes in the way we live now and how that affects the experience of growing up.

At Kells Lane, we strongly believe in the importance of a healthy mind. In order to support children in this, school applied to take part in an evidence based project called the Education for Wellbeing Programme, run by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. I have recently been informed that we have been chosen to take part in the research programme in September 2018. Taking part in this research will be beneficial to our children as it provides teachers with a toolkit designed to support children’s mental health. There are three main parts to the project: Mindfulness, Relaxation and Strategies for Safety & Wellbeing.

The outcomes of the research will eventually be published in a report to the Department for Education, helping to shape decision making and mental health intervention. You can find out more by following this link https://www.annafreud.org/.

Have a great weekend.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs A Whistler

Headteacher

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