Friday 29th March 2024

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This is how we share information and good practices relating to mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges

What's New

NEWS: Sherborne House Accreditation

16th January 2024

Sherborne House School in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: The AcSEED Newsletter

28th July 2022

AcSEED Newsletter for July 2022

NEWS: UK Government blog

21st July 2022

What we are doing to improve the mental health of children and young people

NEWS: AcSEED at MHW Show 2022

11th May 2022

AcSEED were a presenter and exhibitor at the Mental Health and Wellbeing show in Cardiff on 10th May 2022

NEWS: Wistaston Accreditation

25th April 2022

Wistaston Church Lane Academy in Crewe, Cheshire receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: Gorse Hall Accreditation

7th April 2022

Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School in Stalybridge, Cheshire receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: Crosby High Accreditation

7th April 2022

Crosby High School in Crosby, Merseyside receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: St Olave's Accreditation

1st April 2022

St Olave's Grammer School in Orpington, Kent receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: St Paul's Accreditation

19th August 2021

St Paul's Church of England Primary School in Stalybridge, Cheshire receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: The AcSEED Newsletter

14th December 2020

AcSEED Newsletter for December 2020

NEWS: On-line Wellbeing Support

11th December 2020

Kooth: An on-line Mental Health Support Platform

NEWS: Mental Health in Schools Conference

11th November 2020

Report from the Westminster Insight conference on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools

NEWS: Fairfield Road Accreditation

20th October 2020

Fairfield Road Primary School receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: Newport Girls' get AcSEED Award

31st August 2020

Congratulations to Newport Girls' High School in Shropshire ...

NEWS: First AcSEED Wellbeing Centre

25th June 2019

Trinity School and College opens the first AcSEED Wellbeing Centre

Lucy's Story

Can you tell us about your experience of mental illness whilst at school?

My experience of mental ill health at school was very difficult. I felt like I could not cope and although the staff and school faculty were mostly supportive, the students were less than accommodating towards how ill I was.

What could the school have done to support you?

The school were very supportive, I cannot fault them for how they tried to help me. I was given a 'pass' to get out of lessons if I became overwhelmed, all my teachers were informed that I was unwell and I was put on a part time, reduced timetable. They held regular meetings with my parents and my psychiatry team and were very good at helping me when I had self-harmed. They called all of my close friends into a meeting to let them know I was struggling and were also supportive when they found it difficult to cope with my illness. I was given a separate room to get dressed in for PE, and was allowed to wear long sleeves so that other students did not see my self harm cuts and scars.

How did you want staff and teachers to treat and support you?

The school staff and teachers could not have done anything more to support me. They were all excellent.

How important is it for schools to raise awareness of mental illness and how can this be done?

I would say it is very important. Not just for schools to raise awareness of it, but for everyone to raise awareness of it. I had to move schools after being in a psychiatric hospital for a long time, this is because I felt judged and talked about negatively by a lot of the pupils at my original school.

What do you think a lesson on mental health should cover?

I think it needs to cover that there is no choice in the matter of mental illness. It is something that is very common and is not attention seeking, nor does it mean that the person suffering is 'mad'.

Also what needs to be covered is where pupils can go for support if they feel they are depressed/mentally unwell, as this could help prevent serious problems in the future such as extensive scarring from self harm, break down in relationships, eating disorders/problems, self esteem issues and also in horrific circumstances, suicide.

It needs to be raised that mental illness is just that, an illness, and I cannot emphasize that enough. Also, I think that schools should do more lessons on teambuilding amongst pupils, which would possibly help reduced 'clichés' and therefore reduce bullying, which can lead to mental illness. Also self esteem workshops would be a benefit to many pupils. No matter how confident or outgoing a teenager appears, they will always have things that concern and upset them, and if we were more happy with ourselves, then maybe we could all be more accepting of others.

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