Students at the Green School for Girls were able to explore the issues around mental health in a recent workshop. After receiving a Leader Award Grant of £750 from the Jack Petchey Foundation, the school decided to invest the money into improving their students’ awareness of mental health and the issues that surround it.

With the funding, the school organised a workshop performance in the school library for the whole of Year 8. Several actors came into the school and took to the stage to creatively talk to the young students about the various issues surrounding mental health. The performance explored many issues that young people face and, quite often, do not feel comfortable talking about openly with their peers or teachers.

The teachers believe that mental health and well-being is a subject their students should face and learn more about, so they hoped this exercise would encourage more of a conversation around it. The performance was chosen to further enhance what the students already learn through their curriculum as well as the guidance they get from their school nurse. It received encouraging feedback and many of the students spoke positively about  the experience, agreeing that they now feel more comfortable having conversations about  their mental health.

This grant was awarded to the Green School for Girls after one of the teachers, Mrs Humphrys, received a Leader Award in 2017. She was nominated due to her inspiring and encouraging attitude towards the students. She plays a big part in promoting STEM subjects to the girls, giving them advice and guidance when building their future careers.

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