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
GCSE's not the be-all and end-all
24th August 2014 ... Victoria
Earlier this week, after a prolonged summer break, teenagers across the country returned to school and eagerly collected their GCSE results. Sitting in my front room multiple television channels broadcast groups of students screaming with glee or hanging their heads in disappointment.
Looking outside, a couple of girls clutching their results papers walked passed. Thank goodness that's not me anymore!
In fact it has been nine years since I was in their shoes; yet the memories of that day are still fresh in my mind. I made the journey to collect my results alone, not wanting the humiliation of sharing the experience with friends. I sat on my bed staring at the brown envelope. This was it. I was seconds away from discovering whether my life was going to be a success or a failure......
I had never been an academic child and required one to one support to manage my dyslexia. In year four my teacher voiced concerns over whether I would be able to achieve the vital five C's. Predicting my GCSE results when I was only 8 years old seemed slightly premature in my opinion.
I struggled through the rest of primary school and transitioned to a very academic secondary. According to my teachers, B grades were not good enough and yet A grades were thought nothing special. To compensate for my academic difficulties I spent an unhealthy amount of time working, putting myself under inordinate pressure to succeed. Top grades started to creep my way, but this was not achieved without sacrifices. I found myself with no social life, getting very little sleep, and with no time for recreational activities. While the depression and self harm that followed were the culmination of multiple factors, the academic stress could not have helped.
A combination of hard work and non traditional subjects earned me good GCSE's; better than anyone had predicted, especially my year 4 teacher! However nearly ten years on I could probably count on two hands the knowledge I have retained or even utilised from my GCSE days. If I was to advise today's sixteen year olds, I would tell them that GCSE's are not worth making yourself ill over. Having said that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have listened!
The message of this blog is not that GCSE's don't matter; however they are not the be-all and end-all in life. There are many successful individuals who have not let the absence of academic qualifications prevent them from achieving great things. Just this week I heard that a friend has been offered the opportunity to study paramedic science at university despite not having the traditional A levels. What he does have is the experience, knowledge and personal characteristics to make a brilliant paramedic, which was clearly recognised.
Congratulations to everyone who received their results; and to those of you who were disappointed, be kind to yourself as there are still many options available!