This year’s theme, “Know Yourself, Grow Yourself,” was embraced wholeheartedly by the HeadStarters! Their commitment to sharing achievements and learning during Children’s Mental Health Week made a significant impact on their peers and younger students.
By hosting full year group assemblies and small classroom talks, the HeadStarters not only reinforced their own understanding of emotions and mental health but also fostered a supportive environment where others could feel safe to explore their feelings. This kind of initiative can motivate students to become Health Champions by promoting mental well-being, emotional literacy, and resilience.
Empowering students to speak about their experiences and engage in discussions about feelings creates a culture of openness and understanding. It also helps normalise mental health issues and encourages everyone to prioritise their emotional well-being.
Below are a few highlights from our HeadStarters across the South Tees
Bankfields Primary School R&C
Our Headstarters designed their own assembly with Johns help to highlight the HeadStart team and their aims. They delivered this alongside their children’s mental health week assembly where they asked children to think about all of the things they were great at and discuss them with their family and friends as well as asking them to set some goals to ‘grow themselves’ this year.
The HeadStart team also chose the inside out personality islands worksheets from the CMHW resources for our whole school to complete as a mindfulness activity during our Monday Mindfulness sessions. They challenged all classes to come up with a grow yourself mind map which they could review at the end of the year to see if the children had achieved their aims.
Luci – Bankfields Mental Health Lead
Wheatlands Primary school R&C
What a fantastic initiative by the Year 5 HeadStarters! By visiting each class to share their experiences and roles, they not only served as role models but also helped to create a community focused on emotional well-being.
Their enthusiasm for inspiring others to become HeadStarters speaks volumes about their dedication and passion for promoting mental health awareness. By discussing the importance of sharing feelings and understanding emotions, they encouraged their peers to open up and engage in conversations about mental health, nurturing a supportive environment for everyone.
This peer-led approach can be incredibly effective, as children often feel more comfortable and inspired by their classmates. The HeadStarters’ initiative likely made a lasting impact on their school community, fostering a sense of empathy and encouraging students to support one another in their emotional journeys.
Badger Hill Primary R&C
Held an assembly and lunchtime wellbeing club to raise awareness of mental health and share their knowledge with their peers.
Breckon Hill Primary – Middlesbrough
HeadStarters who recently achieved their silver Award, as part of the HeadStarters pathaway led assemblies and classroom sessions in all Year groups helping their peers learn about mental health.
Westgarth Primary R&C
YR 5 held a whole school assembly to talk about the 5 Ways to Wellbeing.
They have been trained by our YR6 HeadStarters and are a credit to their whole school.
Caedmon, Greengates , Ings Farm, Badger Hill, and also Middlesbrough HeadStarters from Breckon Hill and St Edwards primarys delivered a series of impactful assemblies that centered around key topics of mental health and wellbeing.
The discussions aimed to foster understanding and support within the school and how they can spot signs that they may need some help with their feelings.
The groups introduced their participation emphasising their commitment to promoting mental wellbeing among peers and the wider community.
They shared insights into how they achieved their Bronze and Silver awards for their efforts in mental health promotion, detailing the initiatives and activities that contributed to their success.
The group outlined ambitious plans to educate fellow students on wellbeing and mental health, with the goal of achieving a Gold award. They emphasised the importance of raising awareness and providing support in their school environment.
Ideas were shared on ongoing projects and campaigns to sustain their efforts in spreading awareness about mental health, ensuring that mental wellbeing remains a priority within their school.
Kirkleatham Hall School invited the HeadStart team to be part of their Children’s Mental Health Week by delivering workshops around emotions and how we can manage them.
Overall, these assemblies, workshops and awareness sessions provide valuable insights into mental health and wellbeing, equipping students with tools and knowledge to navigate their emotions and support one another effectively.
Published: March 3