Children's Mental Health Week 2024

Last week, the Senior School and Sixth Form came together to celebrate and embrace Children's Mental Health Week, a dedicated week to empower and give a voice to children and young people across the UK. The theme for this year was 'My Voice Matters', emphasising the importance of every child and young person believing in the power of their voice and their ability to create positive change for their mental health and well-being, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

Let's take a moment to look back at some of the incredible activities and initiatives undertaken by our students during this meaningful week:

Whole School Assembly

At the beginning of the week, a group of Year 12 Well-being Ambassadors, joined by the Head of Year 9, led a thought-provoking assembly. Through the use of video clips and examples, they highlighted instances where voices had been silenced and marginalised throughout history. This served as a powerful reminder that injustice should never be tolerated, and by using our voices to speak up for what we believe in, we demonstrate our commitment to making a positive impact in the world.

WBA: Student Voice

During breaktime, our dedicated Well-being Ambassadors visited the dining hall to create a mini podcast. Armed with a voice-only recording device, they asked students what mattered the most to them as young individuals in the year 2024. This initiative aimed to provide a platform for students to express their thoughts and concerns, further empowering them to make a difference.

Form Time Task

As part of their form time activities, students from Year 7 to 13 were tasked with watching curated videos from the 'Bystander Revolution' and reflecting on this content. This online community strives to inspire acts of courage, kindness, and inclusion among young people. Our students took this opportunity to consider how they could use their voice to support their peers during Children's Mental Health Week. They wrote down their goals on post-it notes, inspired by the videos they watched, and displayed them on the back of their tutor room doors, symbolising our united commitment to positive change and using our voices for good.

Year 9 Drama lessons

To commemorate Children's Mental Health Week and Safer Internet Day, alongside our visit from journalist and Redmaids' alumnae Thea Rickard, our Year 9 Drama students embarked on a creative journey by creating podcasts. Their podcasts focused on exploring the benefits and risks of social media and screen time. After watching a video to understand the structure of their recordings, they conducted research and incorporated their own stories and opinions into their podcasts.

PSHE

Throughout the week, our students in Year 11 dedicated their well-being lessons to exploring hand massage techniques and creating visualisation boards for after their GCSEs. Meanwhile, Year 9 students delved into the impact of social media on body image and how to utilise these platforms to their advantage. They also explored the concept of body-positive influencers and learned how to uplift and support each other on social media. Year 7 students have also been focusing on their well-being this term, engaging in activities such as walks, challenges, and dancing sessions.

It is truly inspiring to see our students actively engaging in Children's Mental Health Week, using their voices to advocate for change and support one another.