Training pupil champions to promote positive mental health and wellbeing in schools.
Year 5 children from six Rivers schools joined together to learn how to become Wellbeing Champions.
Children from Heronswood Primary School, St Clements CofE Primary School, Burlish Park Primary School, Dudley Wood Primary School, Great Witley CE Primary School and Cherry Orchard Primary School took part in a two-hour training session delivered by the Wyre Forest School Sport Partnership to promote and encourage positive pupil wellbeing.
Pupil wellbeing champions are a group of children within a school who are specially trained to be aware and supportive of their peer’s mental health and wellbeing.
Burlish Park Academy have had pupil wellbeing champions in school since 2021. They promote positive mental health by providing peer-to-peer support, being good role models and listeners and building awareness of where to go for support. Pupil wellbeing champions are a valuable part of the whole-school approach to wellbeing and mental health.
Children will actively begin the role of wellbeing champion in Year 6, starting off with an assembly to introduce themselves and present their action plan and approach to support wellbeing. They will then run various initiatives throughout the year to raise awareness, help and signpost.
Former pupil wellbeing champions fed back to the new recruits during the training session and shared their experience of the role. “It’s really fun and you get to know the younger children. We’ve learnt that worries can be restricting and that it’s not good to sit and worry, it’s best to do something about it and speak to someone.”