In this week’s Equipped to Flourish lecture, pupils from the 4th Form and upwards were joined by guest speaker, Dick Moore. As a former headmaster with a successful career in education, Dick became a mental health campaigner following the death of his son Barney, by suicide, at the age of 21.
Despite the severity of the talk which focused on the challenges of adolescence, as well as common elements of emotional and mental ill-health, the hour was filled with humour, music and positive feeling.
“Although not a doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist or qualified counsellor, I have spent many years as a teacher, and over 20 years as a headmaster, and I know that some young people — and their parents — often find it difficult to take the first step towards finding help.” explained Dick.
Beginning a conversation on personal ways of managing emotional wellbeing, pupils cited some of their own coping strategies as playing sports, watching a favourite TV series, going for a walk, and reading.
The father’s takeaway message for Kingham Hill was to talk to one another and prioritise caring for others: “Caring for those around us should be our top priority.” He concluded with 10 takeaway tips for maintaining well-being:
- Eat well, exercise and get fresh air
- Get enough sleep
- Don’t allow anyone to define you by your grades
- Focus on what is really important
- Be who you are - not who others want you to be
- Be a good listener and build connections but don’t expect to be able to solve every problem
- Be emotionally honest with yourself and others - ask for help when you need it
- Keep technology use under control
- Have a laugh everyday
- Remember that ‘all storms pass’.
At Kingham Hill, the Equipped to Flourish (ETF) Programme is woven into every aspect of school life, with a dedicated, timetabled lesson or lecture taking place once per week. The programme is centred around the four key themes of resilience, responsibility, humility and integrity.
For more information on the Equipped to Flourish Programme at Kingham Hill, please watch our Equipped to Flourish Introduction.