News Release, 1 June 2001
With as many as one in five children experiencing psychological problems at any one time, primary schools across the UK should be doing more to identify and support children at risk of developing mental health problems, according to a new report from The Mental Health Foundation to be launched on 20 June 2001.
The report, I Want To Be Your Friend But I Don't Know How, examines the impact of a number of Mental Health Foundation funded projects which developed and evaluated specific support in school for four-to-eight-year-old children who were showing signs of depression, isolation or disruptive behaviour. I Want To Be Your Friend… will be launched at a joint conference with the Department for Education and Schools, Promoting Mental Health in Schools, to be held in London on 20 June.
"Numeracy and literacy are important but children also need emotional and social skills to deal with the increasingly complex world of work and relationships," said Ruth Lesirge, chief executive, Mental Health Foundation. "Children spend a large part of their time at school. If schools can support and work with children who perhaps have low self-esteem and self-confidence, or have poor communication skills and few friends, then these children will have a chance of better mental health and will be able to achieve more of their educational potential. And, of course, by providing help within mainstream schools, children are less likely to be stigmatised or labelled as problems."
I Want To Be Your Friend………recommends that:
-
Every school should identify a mental health co-ordinator to develop practice promoting children's mental health and provide a link to specialist mental health services
-
All teachers within mainstream schools should have continuing training on child development issues, including mental health difficulties and straightforward school-based work with children at risk of developing mental health problems
- OFSTED inspections should additionally take account of the emotional development of the children and assess schools on their ability to work effectively with children with emotional and behavioural problems
I Want To Be Your Friend……… is based on the work of five projects based in Hexthorpe Primary School, Doncaster, The Arbours Lower School, Northampton, Westwood Park School, Guildford, Stoke Primary School, Coventry and C'mon Everybody, a project based alongside a local educational psychology service in Sheffield.
The approaches used within the projects included circle time, circles of friends (where a small number of other pupils volunteer to be special friends to an individual child who is withdrawn and isolated, and take part in structured play), parenting skills programmes and parents rooms, and workshops and training for all staff including teachers, lunch supervisors and support assistants.
Return to news releases 2001
For further information and interview requests contact please contact the press office on 020 7803 1105 / 1128 or email the press office
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
