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
Michael Syddall Accreditation
14th May 2024
Michael Syddall CofE (Aided) Primary School in Richmond, North Yorkshire receive AcSEED Award
Sherborne House Accreditation
16th January 2024
Sherborne House School in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire receive AcSEED Award
The AcSEED Newsletter
28th July 2022
AcSEED Newsletter for July 2022
UK Government blog
21st July 2022
What we are doing to improve the mental health of children and young people
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
Wistaston Accreditation
25th April 2022
Wistaston Church Lane Academy in Crewe, Cheshire receive AcSEED Award
Gorse Hall Accreditation
7th April 2022
Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery School in Stalybridge, Cheshire receive AcSEED Award
Crosby High Accreditation
7th April 2022
Crosby High School in Crosby, Merseyside receive AcSEED Award
St Olave's Accreditation
1st April 2022
St Olave's Grammer School in Orpington, Kent receive AcSEED Award
St Paul's Accreditation
19th August 2021
St Paul's Church of England Primary School in Stalybridge, Cheshire receive AcSEED Award
The AcSEED Newsletter
14th December 2020
AcSEED Newsletter for December 2020
On-line Wellbeing Support
11th December 2020
Kooth: An on-line Mental Health Support Platform
Mental Health in Schools Conference
11th November 2020
Report from the Westminster Insight conference on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools
Fairfield Road Accreditation
20th October 2020
Fairfield Road Primary School receive AcSEED Award
Newport Girls' get AcSEED Award
31st August 2020
Congratulations to Newport Girls' High School in Shropshire ...
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.