Form Time Activities
This week, our school community came together to mark Children’s Mental Health Week, focusing on the empowering theme, “This is My Place.” Through a series of engaging assemblies and form-time activities, students explored the vital connection between their surroundings and their emotional well-being. From the collaborative growth of our Belonging Tree—where students identified the physical spaces where they feel safest and most authentically themselves—to the creation of Jar of Gems, our learners have been actively practising mindfulness and reflection. These activities encouraged students to celebrate their unique identities while fostering a collective sense of belonging within our school. By identifying their “places” and focusing on the positives, our students are building the resilience and self-awareness needed to support their mental health both now and in the future.
The Belonging Tree
Year 7 students have been growing our Belonging Tree to mark Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week.
From dance club to quiet corners of the library, our students shared the places where they feel most at home. It’s a powerful reminder that while we all have our own unique ‘places,’ we all belong together in this school community.
Jar of Gems
Students have been participating in the ‘Jar of Gems’ activity during form time. By creating their own personalised gratitude jars, students filled them with “gems”—small, handwritten notes detailing the people, moments, and things they are truly thankful for. This creative exercise is designed to help students shift their focus toward the positives in their lives, no matter how small they may seem. Research shows that practising gratitude in this way can increase hope and happiness while significantly reducing stress and negative emotions. These jars now serve as a tangible visual reminder of the good things in our students’ lives, providing them with a valuable tool to boost their wellbeing whenever they need a lift.
Colour, Chill and Create Club
To complement our classroom activities, the ‘Colour, Chill and Create’ club provided a vital sanctuary for students during lunchtimes throughout the week. Hosted in a relaxed, low-pressure environment, the club allowed students to step away from the hustle and bustle of the school day to engage in creative mindfulness through art and design. Whether through intricate colouring or freestyle sketching, the session focused on the ‘chill’—giving students the time and space to regulate their emotions and decompress. As part of our commitment to Children’s Mental Health Week, this club highlighted how creative outlets can significantly reduce anxiety and provide a peaceful ‘place’ for students to recharge their mental batteries.
Love My Community Charity Events
Our school is part of the Southport Learning Partnership where we work together with other schools on joint projects. Love My Community is a special day in the school year where we join with other local schools to raise money for a charity chosen by the children of Southport.
This year the school council representatives from each school have chosen to support Alice’s Wonderdance, Bebe’s Hive and Elsie’s Story.
These charities touch so many hearts in our community of Southport.
Alice’s Wonderdance supports young dancers by removing financial and social barriers, providing resources such as shoes, funding for classes, and community dance opportunities.
Bebe’s Hive is centred on healing, creativity, and connection for bereaved children and their families
Elsie’s Story supports children and families through memory-making experiences, care grants, and community-led kindness.
During the week our school council students have been busy organising a range of activities to raise funds.
Tuck Shop
Our School Council students showed fantastic initiative this week by organising and running a charity tuck shop during break and lunch to support our chosen charities. This student-led project was a resounding success, raising an impressive amount of money. Beyond the fundraising totals, the tuck shop became a hub for the “This is My Place” theme, as students across all year groups came together to support a common cause. The School Council members gained valuable experience in teamwork, leadership, and financial planning. A huge thank you to everyone who visited the stall and contributed to such a positive and impactful week for our community!
Stanley Bake a Difference
The sweet smell of success filled the corridors during the ‘Stanley Bake a Difference’ cake sale, a highlight of our fundraising efforts. Our talented KS3 students spent their Food Tech lessons whipping up an incredible array of treats, while our GCSE Hospitality students took the lead on the day, managing the stall with professional flair alongside the School Council. This collaboration not only showcased our students’ impressive culinary skills but also demonstrated their commitment to supporting others. Every cupcake and traybake sold helped push our total even higher, turning the kitchen and the school hall into a “place” of true community spirit. It was a delicious way to raise awareness for mental health while celebrating the hard work of our aspiring chefs.
