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

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!