16th December 2021
Mental Health Matters
Dear Parent/Carer,
We all have mental health. Good mental health matters.
Your child’s teenage years are an exciting time, but they can be challenging too. Today one in five teens have a diagnosable mental health condition. And on average, people wait 8-10 years after first experiencing mental health problems before seeking help. Together, we can help your child with the tools they need to be happy sooner rather than later. This is why talking about good mental health is so important and not something we, at Beckfoot School, shy away from.
We care about your child and want to support them to sustain good mental health and face mental ill-health. We want them to know that talking about good mental health is important, and never taboo. We want them to know that our doors are open to them, that we will listen, validate how they feel, and offer support. We want them to sustain strong positive relationships with others in school, so they have people they can turn to. We talk in positive and practical ways - highlighting opportunities and strategies that lend themselves to good mental health. This is through our curriculum offer, including our assembly programme, PSHCE, BSL groups, special days and through everyday interactions with our students. We also offer peer mentoring, advocacy, a Y11 mentoring programme and Place2Be.
Place2Be
Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity with over 25 years’ experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools. Place2Be provides mental health support in Beckfoot School through one-to-one and group counselling using tried and tested methods backed by research. We have a Place2Be Manager based in school three days a week, every week, with a team counsellors. We made this investment for our whole community – students, parents, carers, and staff. Please click on Place2Be for more information about the organisation. Please email our Place2Be Manager, Sarah Blick, at becplace2be@beckfoot.org if you have a specific query.
Information and support for you
Please visit our new and regularly updated Mental Health and Wellbeing homepage by clicking on this link. You can access this page through the Beckfoot homepage > Students & Learning > Mental Health and Wellbeing.
The homepage looks like this:
Scroll down and you’ll see buttons for Parents/Carers and Students. The buttons look like this:
Click on the Information for Parents/Carers. You will find a range of hand-picked resources that we hope can help you in supporting your child’s good mental health. We’ve included agencies, charities and organisations that have further expertise and experience. We hope this information supports you in helping your child stay mentally healthy.
If you have concerns about your child, please contact their Head of Year.
Kind regards,
Simon Wade Alex Denham
Headteacher Deputy Headteacher
