Thursday 28th March 2024

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This is how we share information and good practices relating to mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges

What's New

NEWS: Sherborne House Accreditation

16th January 2024

Sherborne House School in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: The AcSEED Newsletter

28th July 2022

AcSEED Newsletter for July 2022

NEWS: UK Government blog

21st July 2022

What we are doing to improve the mental health of children and young people

NEWS: AcSEED at MHW Show 2022

11th May 2022

AcSEED were a presenter and exhibitor at the Mental Health and Wellbeing show in Cardiff on 10th May 2022

NEWS: Wistaston Accreditation

25th April 2022

Wistaston Church Lane Academy in Crewe, Cheshire receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: Gorse Hall Accreditation

7th April 2022

Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School in Stalybridge, Cheshire receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: Crosby High Accreditation

7th April 2022

Crosby High School in Crosby, Merseyside receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: St Olave's Accreditation

1st April 2022

St Olave's Grammer School in Orpington, Kent receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: St Paul's Accreditation

19th August 2021

St Paul's Church of England Primary School in Stalybridge, Cheshire receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: The AcSEED Newsletter

14th December 2020

AcSEED Newsletter for December 2020

NEWS: On-line Wellbeing Support

11th December 2020

Kooth: An on-line Mental Health Support Platform

NEWS: Mental Health in Schools Conference

11th November 2020

Report from the Westminster Insight conference on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools

NEWS: Fairfield Road Accreditation

20th October 2020

Fairfield Road Primary School receive AcSEED Award

NEWS: Newport Girls' get AcSEED Award

31st August 2020

Congratulations to Newport Girls' High School in Shropshire ...

NEWS: First AcSEED Wellbeing Centre

25th June 2019

Trinity School and College opens the first AcSEED Wellbeing Centre

World Mental health day

10th October 2012 ... Charlotte

So today I took a trip back in time and visited my old secondary school for an event being held to mark world mental health day. I wasn't sure how I would cope going back and it was certainly a surreal experience, making me feel very old! The conference was for local teachers and allied professionals to learn about CAMHS and the various difficulties young people can face. Myself and another VIK presented at the start of the conference, we not only shared our own experience but also voiced the opinions of the young people who we had talked to at the inpatient unit a few weeks previously. We shared with them the work we are doing with AcSEED and potentially have several new schools interested in participating.

As the event was being held at my old school I had to be mindful about what I said though it did leave me reflecting on my own school experience. In no way blame my school for my mental health difficulties but at the same time I don't think the culture of the school was constructive to my mental health. Although the school didn't pick up that I was suffering mental illness I was very good at hiding it and therefore don't feel I can hold the school responsible for overlooking this. While I wasn't aware of any support in my school for students suffering with mental illness perhaps if they had been aware of my difficulties they would have been able to offer something.

I believe the day was a brilliant success and events like this should happen more often. Throughout the day what I did become aware of was that there was still a lot of education to be done in informing teachers and school staff around the topic of mental health. While I believe the staff are going away from today with a better insight and understanding I am aware that there are many more staff out there that have not had this training. In the ideal situation I believe emotional wellbeing should be embedded into the ethos of the school and that involves getting the backing of the senior management team. It was my impression that members of senior management teams were poorly represented at this event and it's vital that we start encouraging their participation in this important area.

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