Schools across Cumbria Education Trust have been taking part in activities to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, with pupils exploring ways to support their own wellbeing and look out for others.
This year, CET primary schools have taken their Mental Health Awareness Week activities outdoors, focusing on the positive impact that nature can have on mental health. Pupils have been encouraged to slow down, move, breathe calmly and use their senses to notice the world around them.
The programme, developed by Newtown Primary School Headteacher Mhairi Roberts, supports children to understand how time spent in nature can help reduce stress, improve mood and support emotional regulation. Through outdoor activities, pupils have been learning practical strategies they can use to take positive action for themselves and others, both during Mental Health Awareness Week and beyond.
Early Years children have also enjoyed a range of nature-themed activities, including a ‘senses safari’, stretching like tall trees, curling like hedgehogs and floating like clouds.
Across CET secondary schools, students have been exploring self-care strategies that work for them, while also considering how they can support others and help create a positive school environment. The secondary programme, designed by Workington Academy’s Katie Kinrade, has encouraged students to think and talk about self-esteem, stress, anxiety and depression, using well-known figures such as Billie Eilish and Roman Kemp to support discussion.
Mental Health Awareness Week is an important reminder that raising awareness matters, but positive change also comes through action. Even small actions can help us feel more hopeful, and when we come together as school communities, that impact becomes even stronger.
Well done to everyone across CET who has taken part.
