Wellbeing & Mental Health

Wellbeing Warriors

New to this year, we have introduced wellbeing warriors - every class has a nominated warrior who promotes mental health and wellbeing within the year group and brings ideas to the MHWB team for the Federation.

Children's Mental Health Week

‘Your voice matters!’

Members of the schools Mental Health and Wellbeing Team (MHWT) and the Senior Leadership Team had planned an action packed-week of activities and learning to immerse both children and staff in a vast array of life-enriching workshops and experiences. We are most grateful to parents, staff, visitors and the church team who came into school to lead sessions, each adding valuable dimensions and variety to our week.

We hope very much that your children enjoyed the week and that together as parents and staff we can encourage our children to develop healthy wellbeing habits that will serve them well throughout their lives. We look forward to another successful Children’s Mental Health Week next year!

Here is a full list of all the activities during Children’s Mental Health 2024…

(why not use the list to ask your child what they did in one or more of the sessions 😊)

• What "does your voice matters" mean discussion across year groups for mental health
• Mindful breathing exercise during class
• Makaton song-signing to express different voices
• Made quiet critters to share worries and string-cup phone to encourage talking to each other
• Philosophy-4-Children (P4C) focused on your voice matters
• Mindful moments – compassionate colouring
• Being safe online and how being online and using the internet affects us workshop
• Church-team workshop exploring our spirituality through: mirror-moments, door-moments, window-moments and candle-moments

Staff:

• Shared breakfast for all one morning   

Please feel free to browse our photos from Wellbeing Week

 There are lots of ways of nurturing our mental and physical sense of good health and wellbeing. In this article Rev Pawson shares his experience of Couch to 5K (when he finally got round to it!) to encourage others who have thought about it but haven’t yet given it a try.

If you have a hobby that has helped you with your wellbeing or general health, we’d love to hear from you!

Crutch to 5k

‘I’ve often thought about procrastination, but never quite got round to it…’

Ever thought about trying Couch to 5k, but it’s not quite happened for you?
This was me for well over 2 years. In my mid-50’s, stirred only from my sedentary life-style by the daily dog-walk, I downloaded the Cto5k App to my phone shortly after my wife, Helen, finished the programme.
It sat quietly gathering virtual dust until my phone contract ended and I changed my phone…
Some time later, shamed now by Helen’s regular attendance at Park Run, I downloaded the App again onto my new phone. Again the months passed… more virtual dust…

Then in January 2023 I took the dog out for a walk and 50 metres later tripped and broke my left kneecap - Ouch!
I remember the doctor and the physio asking what my exercise goals were - what activities would I like to get back to doing after recovery?
Insightful chap that I am, I sensed my first thought - ‘spend a Friday evening binge-watching Netflix, without any discomfort’ - was not quite what they had in mind.
Remembering my Cto5k app and Helen’s, now regular achievements at Park Run, I muttered unconvincingly, ‘running?’
‘You’d like to get back to running?’, they mis-quoted back to me.
I coughed apologetically, ‘I was thinking about trying Couch to 5k, when this happened…’

My knee healed well - thankfully it was a simple break with no other damage - and the months raced by. Summer arrived and the family headed to Bakewell for a holiday. By this time Helen (same age as me and my running inspiration!) was training for the Great South Run - 10miles! So out she went every 2 or 3 days to train.
That’s when it happened - a mini-epiphany! Why don’t I start Couch to 5k? It’s a beautiful day, not too hot… how hard can it be? 

I soon discovered that it was harder than I imagined! But, the program is very well designed, especially for beginners, like me.

The 9 week program is based on 3 x 30 minute sessions per week - though if it takes 2 or 3 weeks to fit in 3 sessions, so be it. You start out gently (in Wk.1), with stretching exercises and a warm-up walk before running for just 60 seconds then resting for 90 seconds. This running and resting pattern is repeated 7 more times to fill the 30mins.

A key part of Couch to 5k is the coaches who provide loads of encouragement and helpful tips. They also tell you when to run, how much running time is left, and when to rest.
I can honestly say it is such a good resource and holds together, both the limitations, and the potential of beginners.

It took me about 13 weeks to finish the program, in a pair of old Clark’s trainers and some discounted running kit Helen bought me at the end of our holiday in Bakewell.

The goal of Couch to 5k is to be able to run non-stop for 30 mins. I can tell you that nothing seems less likely when you’re panting through your first 60 second run like an asthmatic dragon, imagining the coroner stopped over your expired body trying to work out what gave out first - lungs, heart, legs, or that big vein throbbing in your forehead.

But surprisingly, you make it through. The coach applauds your efforts like you’ve just set a new world record!… and you walk home (your warm down walk) with an immense sense of exhausted achievement.

Each new week the running time is extended slightly and every week your sense of achievement and confidence grows, despite the initial doubts that I may just have reached my limits.

Since completing Cto5k I’ve started going to Park Run in Victoria Park, Netley - and I try to get out another 1 or 2 times a week.
It’s always hard work, and there are always moments when it would be easier to stop, but I’ve learned that I can do far more than I thought possible. So I keep putting one foot in front of the other, and am feeling much better for it.
So if you see me running round Bursledon or along Hamble Lane give me a wave - I’ll appreciate the encouragement…
Better still, why not give Couch to 5k a try and see what it can do for you!

Rev John Pawson

wellbeing mental health week 2023.pdf