Saturday 9th November 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: Michael Syddall Accreditation

14th May 2024

Michael Syddall CofE (Aided) Primary School in Richmond, North Yorkshire receive AcSEED Award

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

The sensitive subject of acne

16th October 2015 ... Michael

I couldn't say the word "acne" out loud until I was an adult. It's a very emotional thing, your skin, and acne was doing me such emotional harm at school that I was unable to ever speak about it, even though I really needed to.

The biggest misconception to do with acne is 'they are just spots'. I would never underestimate the multiple impact of acne on anybody's school life. It can affect academic achievement, socialising, school trips, participation in sport, eating, overall mood, self esteem, attendance, in fact every aspect of emotional wellbeing.

Despite acne being the most mainstream physical condition to affect pupils at school, there is a silence surrounding acne. Sadly, that silence is self perpetuating as acne continues to be a subject largely ignored compared to, say, body image. The silence is twofold. It is the silence of pupils who are so deeply upset by acne that they bottle everything up and so friends, parents and teachers are completely unaware there is a problem. Also, there is the silence from schools in recognising the nature and extent of acne's impact. I believe very strongly that schools should be proactively reaching out to pupils who may be in real distress. In being open about acne within school there is a better chance of catching pupils before they reach a possible crisis point and, as was the case with me, become traumatised by their acne.

Another misconception is that the severity of the acne equates to the degree of upset. This isn't the case. Somebody who may appear to have mild acne can be overwhelmed by it. Somebody else who may appear to have more obvious acne may be emotionally strong and pragmatic.

There are so many strands to how acne can affect a pupil, boy or girl equally, that often a pupil with acne will only feel able to open up to somebody else who has direct experience of acne too. So, there needs to be an appreciation of this because a common thought process is 'there's no point, they won't understand', and this overrides a student's need to share their emotions.

There is no doubt that due to the intensity of feelings generated by something as personal as a young person's own skin, the subject of acne needs to be treated sensitively and knowledgeably by schools. For a pupil with acne, being told 'your skin doesn't look bad to me' is not the right kind of help. There needs to be a proper awareness of how students with acne can be affected across all school life.