Mental and Physical Wellbeing

Studying at home can put a strain on every one of us. Away from the buzz of school life and the excitement and activity of our PE lessons, LEAP and out of school clubs, we need to make sure we are looking after our physical and mental well-being, as well as our education. Here you will find a range of useful ideas, resources and links to help us stay motivated, active and fight away that lock-down lethargy.

During this difficult period, the Covid-19 outbreak has now forced school closures (except for those children with parents who are ‘key workers’) and a number of other identified students.
If you have any safeguarding concerns about a student or as a student you are worried about your own safety or mental health, please contact;

Mrs P Venables (Year 7) – p.venables@hayesfield.com
Mrs V Stevens (Year 8) – v.stevens@hayesfield.com
Mrs M Ross (Year 9) – m.ross@hayesfield.com
Mrs J Dent (Year 10) – j.dent@hayesfield.com
Mrs H Gulliford (Year 12 & 13) – h.gulliford@hayesfield.com
Mrs J Eaton is Designated Safeguarding Lead – j.eaton@hayesfield.com

We will be posting various useful links and information as the situation develops over the next few weeks, but we are very aware that we do not want to overload either yourselves or our students with too much information.

Our primary concern is that our community manages their emotional well being at this time. As frustrating as it is when IT is slow and we cannot access online learning, it is a not an insurmountable issue, nor one that should consume the delicate equilibrium at home.

Coupled with this, we are very aware that pupils need to be reminded to Stay Safe Online. We will be regularly reminding students to do this.

There are many families who are unable to monitor their child’s internet use as they work from home themselves. We would however respectfully encourage you to work as near to your children as you can and certainly discourage IT, including phones and laptops being used in private spaces such as bedrooms.

Looking after your mental health while self-isolating or social distancing is really important for all of us.

Other Useful Organisations and Contact Details

On-line Safety Support

There is support available to keep your child safe online. Below are some useful links to help parents and carers:

  • Thinkuknow (advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online)
  • Internet matters (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
  • Parent Info (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
  • LGfL (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
  • Net-aware (support for parents and carers from the NSPCC)
  • Let’s Talk About It (support for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation)
  • UK Safer Internet Centre (tips, advice, guides)

 

Mental Wellbeing Support: Year 7 to 13

Social connections, alongside exercise, sleep, diet and routine, are important protective factors for mental health. Materials to promote and support mental wellbeing are included in the list of online resources we have published to help children to learn at home.

Resources to promote and support children and young people’s mental wellbeing include:

 

In addition, there are a list of mental wellbeing resources based on the recommendations of trusted organisations designed to provide guidance on how to support the wellbeing of children educated remotely.

BPS: https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-blogs
Advice on dealing with school closures and talking to children about COVID-19

Children’s Society: https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/coronavirus-information-and-support
Information and support on different aspects of mental health and wellbeing

MindEd: https://www.minded.org.uk/
An educational resource for all adults on children and young people’s mental health

Rise Above: https://riseabove.org.uk/topic/my-mind/
Videos with tips on gaining confidence, dealing with anxiety and coping strategies from other young people

The Child Bereavement Network: http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/covid-19.aspx
Advice on supporting grieving children during the coronavirus outbreak

School Nursing Service

For Secondary School Age Young People:
We have set up a confidential telephone drop-in service Monday – Friday 12.00-2.00pm. Any Young person that would like to call and speak to a qualified School Nurse on the end of the phone you can call:
01225 831666 – Bath Area
01761 408111 – Norton/Radstock area

For Parents of ANY School Aged Child:
We have duty school nurses available at the end of the phone Monday to Friday 9.00am-5.00pm should you require any support with your school aged child. If you would like this support please call:
01225 831666 – Bath Area
01761 408111 – Norton/Radstock area

If at all possible, please avoid 12.00–2.00pm (as we would like to keep this for Young People, see above).

The Chat

Health text service means you can text a school nurse for advice or support for any health issues or worries, again this is confidential and you don’t need to give your name if you don’t want to, the number is 07480 635513

Reach out for help If your living situation is difficult, please don’t struggle in silence. Speak to someone you trust. Call a friend or a helpline. If you’re worried about being overheard, you could try texting or emailing instead. There are lots of helplines:

Young Minds Crisis Messenger Service

Text YM to 85258 for free 24/7 mental health support if you are having a having a mental health crisis. Alternatively, the link to their website is below with helpful advice.
https://youngminds.org.uk
https://youngminds.org.uk-findhelp

Kooth

This is a web based confidential support service available to young people. Kooth provides a safe and secure means of accessing mental health and wellbeing support designed specifically for young people. Kooth offers young people the opportunity to have a text-based conversation with a qualified counsellor. Counsellors are available from 12noon to 10pm on weekdays and 6pm to 10pm at weekends, every day of the year on a drop-in basis. Young people can access regular booked online counselling sessions as needed. Outside counselling hours’ young people can message our team and get support by the next day.

When students register with Kooth they will have support available to them now and in the future. Support can be gained not only through counselling but articles, forums and discussion boards. All content is age appropriate, clinically approved and fully moderated.

To find out more visit www.kooth.com where young people can register and others can find out more about the service.

Youth Connect

This organisation has updated their website and will be developing this over the next week.
https://www.ukyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Covid-19-Young-people-final-1.pdf

As you will be aware the government has issued health advice in response Coronavirus (COVID-19). In response Youth Connect have taken the decision to minimise its face to face work. www.youthconnectsouthwest.org.uk

Bath College

The College will be closed to students until further notice, but all staff are working remotely, so they wanted to inform learners on what this means for learners who are planning to come to Bath College in September.

The current situation for all students who plan to apply, or have applied already, they will be given a conditional offer upon application, based on their current predicted grades.

Depending on the subject applied for and our length of closure, some courses may ask students to partake in some online tasks or activity during our closure. If this is the case, they will be contacted by the relevant lecturer at the appropriate time.

Students who have had their interview cancelled will now be offered a conditional place, as above Students who have not yet applied, do so in the same way as before, through the course page at
www.bathcollege.ac.uk

Students who have any questions about their future course can contact the admissions department who will remotely put them in touch with the relevant course leader.

Some Further Useful Links

www.bathnes1bd.org.uk
http://www.wellbeingoptions.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/BathnesFIS
www.facebook.com/wellbeingoptions
www.instagram.com/youth_info_banes/

Apps & Websites for General Wellbeing

Headspace
Powerfully relaxing meditations and mindfulness exercises to help you get the most out of your day. In addition, designed to help you fall asleep more quickly.

Catchit App
Catch it uses cognitive behaviourial therapy (CBT) to change the way you think and feel about things.

Calm
App for Mindfulness and Meditation

Breathe2Relax
The relaxation app trains you on the “belly breathing” technique that has proven benefits for your overall mental health

Stress Check by Azumio
This app takes you on a deep breathing exercise to promote calmness and can bring your heart rate down in five minutes. The app provides instant feedback with breath and pulse monitoring and tracks long-term progress

Happify
The Happify app is a way to make a game of all the positive psychology tricks you know might work, but make you feel kind of silly when you actually do them. You’ll start by taking a quick test that assesses the areas of happiness you should work on. Then, you’re presented with a few “tracks” that can help get you to your goals

SAM App: Apps for Anxiety
SAM is an application to help you understand and manage anxiety

Pacifica
Daily tools for stress, anxiety, and depression alongside a supportive community. Based on cognitive behavioural therapy & mindfulness meditation

Thrive: Feel Stress Free
When you log in it gives you different tips to help you relieve stress/anxiety. There are tabs for meditation, deep relaxation, self-hypnosis, and more

BASE
An app designed to help manage stress and anxiety. By learning more about how and why we experience anxiety at different times and in different situations we can be less fearful

Smiling Mind
Trying to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life? This app can help you launch into a regular practice of mindfulness meditations

Wysa Happiness Chabot
Wysa helps to build emotional resilience by talking to you about your situation. Over 60 psychologists and 10,000 users have provided specific inputs to shape how Wysa helps them

I Love Hue
When you feel like you have no control, this app can help sooth you by creating simple visual harmonies from mosaic tiles

Anxious Minds
Anxious minds are a charity that was set up by sufferers of anxiety and depression, to provide free support to all suffers of anxiety and depression

Worry Watch
This journaling tool has a simple user interface where users can log instances of worry, fear, and anxiety. They can also add the outcome of each situation, which provides a comparison between expectation and reality that helps reduce anxiety over time

What’s Up? Anxiety App
This app uses CBT and ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) methods to help you cope with Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Stress and more

WellMind
WellMind is your free NHS mental health and wellbeing app designed to help you with stress, anxiety and depression. The app includes advice, tips and tools to improve your mental health and boost your wellbeing.

Cove
Free, personal music journal to help you with your emotional and mental health. Trusted by the NHS

Reflectly
A personal journal and diary driven by AI to enable you to deal with negative thoughts, make positivity louder and to teach you about the science of well-being

Happy not Perfect
Backed by Science, designed for you, Happy Not Perfect is your go-to place for everything you need to look after your mind in a fun new way


© Hayesfield Girls' School and Mixed Sixth Form 2024