Children’s Mental Health Week 2022

We celebrated Children’s Mental Health Week 2022, the theme of which was Growing Together, in many different ways this year.

We started the week with assemblies about the importance of growing not just physically and intellectually, but growing emotionally and finding ways to help each other grow.  Pupils considered how trying new things and taking on challenges helps us all to grow emotionally. During PSHEE lessons, each child was given a circle drawing replicating the growing rings on a tree trunk and then filled in the names of all the people who have helped them to grow and supported them through their lives.

As this was celebration of Growing Together, each member of the school community was given a sustainable pot containing a Love Plant bulb to take home and nurture.  As the plant continues to grow, it is our aim for everyone to give the ‘off shoots’ to someone special in their lives.

Finally, we wanted a whole school project to bring all year groups together and represent us growing together as a community. We commissioned local artist Tim Norris to produce a ‘Tree of Wellbeing’; made from rebars (reinforcing steel bars), the tree is now a permanent feature in the front garden. Throughout the week the children produced a specially designed, handcrafted item to go on to the tree, representing our collective growth and reminding us that looking after our mental health should be a permanent feature in our lives. This project is ongoing, and over time the tree has started to ‘blossom’ and will soon be populated with birds.