Tag: primary schools

39 Scottish Primary Schools to begin mental wellbeing challenge

  • 39 Scottish schools start I Can’t to I Can mental wellbeing challenge on 8th November to build self-confidence, resilience and self-esteem mental ahead of Anti-Bullying Week
  • The 5-day Challenge was created as a response to anxiety pandemic amongst young people during these uncertain times
  • Half of all mental health conditions present themselves by the time a child reaches 14 but most cases remain undetected and untreated
  • I Can’t to I Can provides teachers with resources to teach simple brain hacks that can last a lifetime and turn around a child’s negative thinking within a week

The ongoing pandemic, concerns about climate change along with the endless horrific news headlines are enough for any young person to deal with. Add into the mix the normal issues of growing up magnified through the lens of social media and it’s no wonder that young people are 50% more likely to have a mental health problem than they were three years ago.

From 8th November, 39 schools in Scotland will be taking part in the RTT 5-Day ‘I Can’t to I Can’ mental wellbeing challenge.

The aim is to provide children aged 7 – 10 with a series of mind hacks to help build confidence, self-esteem and resilience. This will give them the mental stamina to cope with these challenging times and skills to support them throughout their life if they learn to practice them daily.

Available online, the free resource is based around the RTT concept of the inner cheerleader. Everyone is born with an inner cheerleader as without that driving force encouraging us, babies would give up after taking their first, unsuccessful attempt at anything.

Sadly, the inner critic can kick in as young as 5 which is why the skills taught in ‘I Can’t to I Can’ are so key and it takes just a week to instil positive new approaches in children aged 7 to 10.

Commenting on the challenge, Dr Sian Peer, therapist and Director of the RTT School said: ‘As a parent myself, I know how crippling anxiety can be for a young child. We wanted to share some of the incredible mental wellbeing tools that are the cornerstones of RTT to help primary school children understand and manage their emotions.

“The 5 Day Challenge provides teachers with a daily lesson plan over a week, each building on the learning from the previous day. There are videos, fun exercises and ideas to do at home making the whole experience interactive and memorable.’

Although most schools will participate in the challenge during the week of 8th November, the resources are going to be accessible to schools on an ongoing basis.

Schools interested can visit www.rtt.com/method

Broadcasters unite to support The Daily Mile campaign

ITV, STV, Sky, and Channel 4 have joined together in a national campaign to encourage millions of children to get back to being fit and active with The Daily Mile. 

Launching today, the TV advertising campaign highlights the powerful impact that The Daily Mile has on children’s physical and mental wellbeing. This campaign is part of a £10m commitment from broadcasters, and INEOS’ ongoing support to improve children’s physical and mental health. 

The fast-growing initiative for primary schools has been a huge success with children, parents and teachers worldwide. It has been particularly effective in getting children moving again after the disruption caused by Covid and school closures.

The Daily Mile recently reported that the number of children running a mile a day has skyrocketed to more than 3 million (3,175,461) in over 13,000 schools and nurseries, spanning 85 countries now taking part. 

The Daily Mile is inclusive and accessible to all. It encourages children to run, jog, wheel or walk at their own pace outdoors for 15 minutes every day, and has also been proven to improve concentration and attainment in class. 

The Daily Mile was first developed in 2012 by Scottish headteacher Elaine Wyllie MBE. Since 2016 it has been supported by INEOS, who funded the creation of the advert.

ITV formed a partnership with The Daily Mile in 2018, helping the campaign to generate over 7,000 additional schools sign ups and nearly 2 million more children participating since the partnership began. 

ITV’s Senior Manager of Social Purpose, Annabel Barratt, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the success of our partnership with the Daily Mile so far. After the last school year was so difficult, ITV wants to use our platform and reach to encourage more healthy choices, and we’re so pleased Sky and Channel 4 are on board too.

“We know The Daily Mile boosts children’s mental wellbeing, concentration and self-esteem as well as their physical health so we’re excited to be helping as many schools as possible take part” 

Verica Djurdjevic, Chief Revenue Officer, Channel 4 said: “The past school year has been really tough and means this initiative is more important than ever for the growing number of children benefiting from the boost to both their physical and mental health.

“It’s a great example of the positive impact broadcaster collaboration is delivering.” 

Fiona Ball, Group Director, Bigger Picture, Sky said: “We’re delighted to partner with ITV, STV and Channel 4 once again to support The Daily Mile’s work to encourage children across the country to make choices that will support their physical and mental health.

“At Sky, we believe in using our reach for good and want to provide young people of all backgrounds a voice and support a better future for themselves and society.” 

Founder of The Daily Mile, Elaine Wyllie MBE, said: “Thank you to ITV, STV, Sky, Channel 4. Their help to raise awareness of the benefits of The Daily Mile is so important. It’s been brilliant to see children returning to school and back to The Daily Mile.

“They are all having fun together outdoors and staying fit in a way that comes naturally to them. We want to help schools as they do a great job of supporting children to be happier and more physically active – this has never been as important as it is now.” 

Teachers and parents are encouraged to visit www.thedailymile.co.uk for further information on how they can participate in The Daily Mile safely and in accordance with the latest Government guidelines. 

ITV’s investment in the importance of children’s mental and physical health extends across other initiatives including Britain Get Talking and Eat Them To Defeat Them.

Back of the net! Primary pupils showcase their talent in first student-led football tournament

A group of Edinburgh College students brought together schools for a day of football fun at Oriam, Scotland’s national performance excellence centre at Heriot-Watt’s Riccarton Campus. Continue reading Back of the net! Primary pupils showcase their talent in first student-led football tournament

Scottish Engineering Leaders Awards highlight inspirational problem solvers of the future

The Depute Provost of Renfrewshire, Cathy McEwan, has welcomed Stephen Metcalfe, MP on his inaugural visit to Scotland as HM Government Envoy for Year of Engineering. The visit came on the final grading day of the Scottish Engineering Leaders Award 2018, an innovative award that attracted more than 15,000 entries from 262 Scottish Schools. – some of the inventions will go on to be built by local colleges and universities. Continue reading Scottish Engineering Leaders Awards highlight inspirational problem solvers of the future

More school safety checks as further faults found

“We will be seeking answers from ESP as they have once again let down the parents and the Council over the condition of the school.” – City of Edinburgh Council Chief Executive Andrew Kerr

Following proactive inspections by the Council of recent repairs carried out by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership (ESP), further work is to be carried out immediately on Oxgangs Primary School. Faults have been identified on the roof and in the suspended ceilings of the school following the inspections last month.

Continue reading More school safety checks as further faults found