Acknowledging mental health awareness week across Dixons Academies Trust
Posted 17th May 2024
During mental health awareness week, our academies have taken part in activities to raise awareness and to acknowledge the importance of supporting our students to maintain good mental health and wellbeing.
Students at Dixons Newall Green Academy have taken part in a mental health focused session at art club. The session was designed to enable students to discuss their strengths and also any challenges they face, and how we can work together to overcome these.
Students were encouraged to think about who and what is important to them in their lives and they created some powerful art collages to reflect these close relationships. They were able to take their collages home to continue to develop them, to help support them to recognise their own strengths.
Students at Dixons Fazakerley Academy, have been participating in discussions around how they can individually support their own mental health, and they have been receiving helpful resources and have had the opportunity to share ideas on how to maintain good mental health with their peers.
Students at Dixons Marchbank Primary have been selected to participate in My Happy Mind, an NHS backed programme for schools which is grounded in the latest science and research about what it takes to create positive wellbeing.
Pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 enjoy a fortnightly 30 minute lesson which helps build resilience, self-esteem and confidence. Each class has a My Happy Mind Champion who is available at break times to support their peers with strategies to cope with low mood, such as happy breathing, finger breathing and meditation.
The students really enjoy taking part in the My Happy Mind programme, and feel like it teaches them new and positive techniques to manage their emotions.
"If I'm in a bad mood, my happy mind helps me to think that I shouldn't express my anger as it would make somebody else feel down. It has taught me to practice some happy breathing or take time out to manage my thoughts and let it go, not keep grudges and move forward." Year 6 student - Dixons Marchbank Primary.