Wellbeing in a Leeds primary school

I had the privilege of meeting a brilliant group of pupils at Park Spring Primary School, we had a great discussion about mental health and wellbeing at school, and I was so impressed by everyone’s thoughts and ideas. Such a mature, thoughtful and kind group! Check out some of the fantastic ideas they came up with below, lots to draw inspiration from and use to help yourself or your friends.

How do you look after your wellbeing and how do you make yourself feel better when you’re feeling bad emotions?

“I feel ok because friends listen and try deal with it”

“You can go to counselling”

“I talk to my granny and grandad instead of my parents”

 “You could walk off and play for a bit then walk back after you are feeling better”

“If you’re upset you can do something about it, I draw my feelings instead of talking”

“Go into a corner in bed, scream into a pillow, have whatever makes me feel better like nice food, watch TV with my Grandad or sit with my baby sister”

“Play on my own or go see a friend, who can give me a hug”

“I draw portraits of people I love!”

“I think of what I love to do, like picking seashells at the beach or playing with friends”

“I eat ice cream when I’m sad”

“I like to scribble on a piece of paper and then I rip it up, that makes me feel like my worries are ripped up”

“I didn’t want to go to school so an inclusion staff printed off some mermaid colouring pictures and I went down to inclusion at play and lunch and coloured some in”

“I like going to places where animals are”

“I think about songs that I love and say them out loud”

How do you feel about telling your friends when you are sad?

“I want to tell my friends, my mum might get angry and talk to school, friends are more trustworthy and listen to you unlike parents who can sometimes get confused”

“At first I’m a bit worried but after I feel comfortable and they know more about you as a person”

How do you know when you’re not feeling good?

“If you’re not feeling good you know because you start getting teary and you feel guilty”

“I feel sick and nervous”

“Sometimes after an argument or when I don’t feel right, I get butterflies in my belly and feel nervous to tell anyone, I feel sick”

Why do you think it’s important to be happy?

“It’s important to be happy because you can also make friends happy”

“It uses more muscles to frown than to smile!”

“When you’re happy your friends know you’re there for them, it puts them in a good mood and you can make people giggle”

“Do stuff you want to do like playing with friends instead of being unhappy”

How do you make sure your friends are okay and what can you do in school to make it a good place for everyone to be? 

“Looking around to see if anybody is on their own and if they are, go and see if they are ok and speak to them”

“I would make a box where you could put your thoughts”

“If someone is sad, ask them to come and play, tell a teacher or grownup, talk to them about it”

“I would make sure no one would be laughing at anybody”

“Try talk to them and make sure they’re not on their own”

“I let my friends have some space”

“Write stresses down and put them in a box”

“I would put books in the library that would help you make friends”

“Have a friendship stop – a bench you can go to if you have no one to play with or feel lonely, so you can find friends”

“Save spots at lunch for my friends”

“I would give out stress balls”

“Get a buddy bench to make friends”

 “I would try make everyone laugh because it is not nice to be upset or sad”

“I would make a special place/area where you could have a Mindmate ambassador to talk to you if there is something on your mind or you’re alone”

“I like asking people if they are ok or ask if they want to play with me”

Thank you to everyone at Park Spring Primary School for letting me see how amazing you all are, keep up the good work and hope to see you all again soon!

Pupils spoken to and quoted above are: Maisie (10), Avah (9), Lola (10), Tyler-Brooke (9), Gabby (10), Daisy (9), Tia (9), Danielle (10), Kirby (9), Rowen (10)