Cornwall Schools’ Wellbeing Hub Newsletter 7th March 2025
Friday 7th March 2025
Welcome to the Wellbeing Newsletter
Part 1 - Training & Events
Welcome to the Wellbeing Newsletter
The Right On survey went live this week for schools that have signed up and it’s great to hear how many surveys have already been completed. We hope that the survey will provide insight and information for your school and give us a rich insight into the needs of C&YP across Cornwall.
I was lucky enough to attend the PSHE Association Spring Conference this week.
It was fascinating and absorbing with some thoughtful contributions on everything from healthy eating (and the way ultra processed foods have made it so difficult) with Chris Van Tulliken and an update on the latest research on social media and CYP wellbeing.
There was exciting news about a new resource (coming in May) for primary schools on mental health and wellbeing which looks superb!
It also was a great reminder of just how good the PSHE Association is in supporting PSHE is schools. So much great advice and lots and lots of very high-quality resources.
We (a range of colleagues across children’s services and public health) are also keen to support PSHE in Cornwall bringing a local focus on the key issues facing our young people. Look out for news on a termly PSHE network meeting – coming soon.
About Anxiety
Coming Soon as part of the Brilliant ME! resource
Request a preview / provide feedback
Don’t forget you can now access this and previous newsletters on the website
Wellbeing Training with Headstart Kernow
Find details of all our training including on-demand interactive modules
Current:
- SPACE Combined (Parent & Carers and Children & Young People) 3-day Facilitator Training 3-day (all day) online training | Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th & Wednesday 14th May 2025
- A range of Karen Treisman Webinars - On-demand access Limited number of licences.
- FREE wellbeing content for all staff /governors / parents with Pooky Knightsmith’s Creative Education Platform (see below)
- NEW for 2025 – Workforce Development Opportunities: (download PDF)
Have you joined the Headstart Kernow Creative Education membership yet?
Offering full and free access to a huge range of online, on-demand content for all school staff, governors and a dedicated membership for parents and carers.
Plus access to Live Networks for safeguarding, MH Leads and Staff Wellbeing (with more to come)
Featured content:
Bereavement: 10 Simple Ways to Support
De-escalation: What is it and how do I do it?
An introduction to mental health
Download our updated information fliers for:
External Training
Empathy Lab
Last chance to book 'Boys, books and reading for empathy’ (cost involved)
11th March 4.00 – 5.30pm
As our boys grow up, there are concerning trends which we believe educating for empathy has the potential to combat. This training helps you choose and use empathy-rich books which increase reading for pleasure, exploring what it is like to be a boy or young man in 2025, challenge pressures to conform to gender stereotypes, raise aspiration and support wellbeing.
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Part 2 - News / Resources / Updates
Action for Happiness - Mindful March calendar
‘Let’s pause, breathe and notice so we can respond more mindfully’
New Resource from Pooky Knightsmith – Check-in Cards for non-verbal communication
Many autistic children and young people find it difficult to express how they’re feeling or what they need, particularly in busy or overwhelming environments. These simple, visual check-in cards offer a non-verbal way for students to communicate, helping them feel more in control while reducing stress and anxiety.
This resource includes:
- A set of check-in cards using a traffic light system and key symbols to express needs
- Guidance on how to introduce and adapt the cards for individual students
- Practical suggestions for using them at school, at home, or in other settings
The cards can be printed, laminated, and carried by students, giving them an easy way to communicate without speaking. Some students may use all the cards, while others may select just a few that feel relevant to them. There’s also the option to create personalised cards based on a child’s specific needs.
Digital Resilience Tools and Resources
As part of our overall website refresh, we’ve improved the digital resilience tools / resources and added some new ones. There are tools for professional, parents and carers and young people themselves. Recent additions include:
- SEND Digital Resilience Guidance
- Was that OK? tool for young people
- Podcast Series for young people
Explore these and all the digital resilience resources
Behind the Screen - Childline
Childline’s new ‘Behind the Screen’ campaign, seeks to raise awareness of the sexually coerced extortion of boys and young men. In particular it seeks to address the extortion of nudes from this group via blackmail, in relation to nudes exchanged and then saved by the extorter. All young people should be able to feel safe to seek support for whatever afflicts them. Childline seeks to provide that service, and to act as a conduit for advice and support. The campaign has specifically been designed for boys and young men, to let them know its ok to reach out and that a place for their concerns exists at Childline. In line with this aim, they have produced a supporting guide to accompany their ‘Behind the Screen’ campaign. If interested please follow the link below:
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/media/sfzndfgn/childline-behind-the-screen-pdf-guide.pdf
Life Lessons – new primary age offer / resources
Life Lessons will be expanding to offer a primary PSHE curriculum! We have had amazing feedback from our secondary partner schools and look forward to bringing our unique curriculum to primary schools who will benefit from a peer led approach to PSHE.
To better explain our new offering we are hosting a primary event:
Tuesday 18th March
3.30pm - 4.30pm
Online webinar
Save your spot now https://lifelessons.co.uk/event/primary-event/
Empathy Lab – Reading for Empathy Collection 2025 – Just released
The latest #ReadforEmpathy collection is here.
Jump into someone else's story with a diverse collection of empathy-rich texts, from picture books to non-fiction to graphic novels, written and illustrated by leading authors and illustrators. The 2025 collection is a fantastic resource to help grow an empathy-educated generation…
Primary Collection (pdf)
Secondary Collection (pdf)
We’ve come across some of these books already and they are superb. For example, the lovely “The Grand Hotel of Feelings”; The powerful and moving “The Wrong Shoes” and “Bird Boy”; The laugh out loud and hopeful “Keedie”.
Check out www.empathylab.uk for details of training and events coming up in 2025.
Register Now for the Empathy Day Festival 2nd – 12th June 2025
BBC wellbeing series for Children and Young People denied or restricted from accessing education (DARS)
Dars has produced a video helping children to deal with stress. It is aimed particularly at children and young people growing up in conflict zones. The video introduces what stress can feel like and provides some simple tools to help relaxation and stress reduction.
Watch the video: How to deal with stress
Explore the series: BBC Dars
Anna Freud Centre - Neurodiversity Celebration Week toolkit
Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17th – 23rd March 2025), is an ideal opportunity for pupils and staff to learn more about, and celebrate, neurodiversity..
The Anna Freud Centre has produced a toolkit for primary and secondary schools
VapeANON
VapeANON.com lets young people share information about shops selling vapes to children - and it’s entirely anonymous.
Created by Cornwall Council Trading Standards in response to concerns raised by young people at our Children’s Rights Annual Conversation, VapeANON enables young people to pass on information anonymously to Cornwall’s Trading Standards team about shops that are breaking the law by selling vapes to under 18s.
One of the young people who took part in the Annual Conversation said:
“Whilst working with other young people to create an action plan to address the issue of young people vaping at the Annual Conversation we all discovered that most of us knew at least one person who had bought a vape illegally. We all felt like something had to be done to prevent more young people accessing vapes so I’m very proud that Trading Standards listened to the concerns of the young people and are working to combat this issue."
Positive Young Minds Blog by Lynn How - Pupil Mental Health: 5 Issues We're Facing Now
Another thoughtful blog from Lynn How.
Have you visited our new www.headstartkernow.org.uk website yet?
We are delighted to let you know that our refreshed and redesigned website went live recently. We made it simpler to find what you need as professionals supporting children and families need as well adding a new, more prominent area for parents and carers.