Mental Health Awareness Week - building meaningful connections

This week, we are celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week across the School with this year's theme centred around loneliness and building meaningful connections. During the pandemic many of us were separated from our friends, families and communities and here at School we were so pleased when we could welcome our students and wider community back on site to be together again. 

Our students have jumped straight back into a full and busy school life and MHA Week provides an opportunity to take time out of our School schedule and strengthen connections with those around us. 

We are hosting a number of workshops throughout the week including an interactive graffiti display, where students are invited to share a positive quote, a worry they want to get off their chest or a helpful tip, as well as a student-led workshop on imposter syndrome and a lunchtime session which invites students to enjoy a tasty homemade snack and talk with peers and pastoral staff about anything that may be on their mind. 

Positive mental and physical wellbeing is fundamental in our School and is something we frequently discuss with our students, whether it be in assemblies, focused lessons, specialised clubs or part of the wider framework of pastoral support. There are many ways our students can find information and seek support should they need it, including:

• Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) lessons, where students learn about navigating friendships, challenges of teenage years, self esteem, body image, media portrayal of mental health and stress management. 
• Our school counsellor, who is on hand every week and provides specialist one-to-one confidential sessions. 
• Parent information evenings hosted by our pastoral team, which highlight useful resources for parents and provide an opportunity to raise any queries. 
• Our student Wellbeing Prefect, who guides and delivers wellbeing support for their peers and manages a student wellbeing resource page full of useful tips, videos and information about help and support in and out of school.
• The Year 13 Peer Mentor team, who provide friendship and support for our younger pupils who may benefit from a friendly ear to discuss their worries and concerns.

Visit the Pastoral Care page on our website to find out more about the programme of support and guidance provided at Sheffield Girls’.