Duo launch pioneering programme to help teachers support students with their mental health
28th Dec 2023 Wellbeing
4 min read
Two women have launched a ‘pioneering’ programme for secondary schools which helps make life ‘easier’ for teachers and equips students to manage their mental health and wellbeing more effectively.
Dr Sian
Morris and psychotherapist Faye Kinirons this month introduced The Mental
Health Project – a new educational start-up that offers Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Personal, Social,
Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculums and resources for children between the
ages of 11 and 16.
The programme, available in England and Wales, meets the Government’s statutory
guidelines on mental health and wellbeing. It includes digital resources such
as guided videos, planned activities, teacher guidance, student workbooks,
schemes of works, optional Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and parent
webinars. The
Mental Health Project offers
five lessons for each year group from seven to 11 in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.
The Mental Health Project packages are designed to ‘empower teachers with
the materials they need to guide students in learning about mental health and
wellbeing’. They will also provide students with knowledge that will help them ‘make
sense of their emotions along with practical strategies’ that will enable
students to manage anxiety, low mood, body image, relationships, and exam
stress.
Dr Morris, who has an MA in Education, met Ms Kinirons while they were
both studying for a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy at
The Metanoia Institute in London. The Institute is a provider of undergraduate,
postgraduate and CPD courses in psychology, psychotherapy, and counselling - validated
by Middlesex University.
Dr Morris is a chartered
counselling psychologist and integrative psychotherapist and has worked for
charities, including mental health charity MIND, NHS Trusts, and universities.
Ms Kinirons, who is set to finish her Doctorate in Spring 2024, has over
15 years teaching experience, including as a Sociology Head of Department and
Coordinator of PSHE.
Having both worked with young people in education and therapeutically,
the duo, who each run their own private practices, realised there was a
‘universal problem’ and decided to form The Mental Health Project to meet the
increasing mental health needs of students in secondary schools.
Dr Morris said: “Teachers are being asked to respond to growing mental
health needs of adolescents on top of what is often already an overwhelming
workload.
“The current RSE and PSHE curriculum in England and Wales mean that
secondary schools must decide how to cover mental health and emotional
wellbeing lessons. This task often falls on the desk of one teacher who may
have some knowledge but is already overstretched.
“They are
then expected to create a plan that covers complex emotional subjects which may
lead to students not getting the support they need. The teenage years are
critical when it comes to learning how to manage things such as anxiety, body
image and exam stress.”
Ms Kinirons said: “Young people need to know how to manage their mental
health day-to-day. We feel passionately that this knowledge should not be
restricted to those who have access to individual therapy or resources at home.
“The Mental Health Project has a simple mission. To provide resources
that take care of the mental health curriculum for teachers that makes their
lives easier while also equipping students with an understanding of their
mental health and wellbeing along with strategies that will benefit them both
in the classroom and beyond.”
The Mental Health Project is already working with schools in both the state
and independent sector and is holding a free
webinar for schools on January 9.
Ms Kinirons added: “We will be discussing some
simple ways teachers can support students with their mental health in the
classroom. We will be incorporating psychological theory such as attachment
styles, the ‘window of tolerance’ and more. There will also be useful insights
and tips for managing students’ mental health in the classroom.”