PositiveMinds

Positive Minds; Education is a 10-week or 6-week wellbeing programme combining classroom and practical based activities to engage Year 6 students in the topic of mental health.

Year 6 is a time of transition, during which young people are more likely to experience and develop mental health issues. Our programme has been developed to support students ahead of this change, to help them increase their knowledge, and instil key tools to improve and support their wellbeing. Since 2018, the programme has been offered free to schools, however this year, due to funding ceasing, we have had no option but to charge schools to keep Positive Minds running. With this change, we have expanded our delivery options, to suit each school’s needs.

We now offer our classic 10-week version of the course, a shortened 6-week version, as well as Empowering Minds, which combines classic classroom learning combined with a physical activity element.

The aim of the programme is for students to be able to:

• Understand what mental health is and what it means to them.
• Identify at least 3 healthy coping strategies that are specific to them as individuals.
• Identify their support network and some local mental health support services.

Why is Positive Minds needed? 

• A recent study found that there was a 65% increase in mental health admissions for young people being admitted to general acute medical wards in England over the last decade. Increases in admissions were greatest among girls aged 11-15 (112.8% increase)’ Source
• 83% of young people with mental health needs agreed that the coronavirus pandemic had made their mental health worse.
• 1 in 6 children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2021 Source