After a trial with over 100 schools, stem4 has successfully developed Head Ed: a free resource for secondary schools, allowing them to support their students by teaching mental health literacy. Teachers can sign up for access here: https://education.stem4.org.uk/
Head Ed offers teachers 9 hours of lesson content for use across key stages 3 and 4, covering topics such as stress, anxiety, depression, self-harm and resilience. Every module includes a lesson plan, bitesize educational videos, a classroom task and discussion points, learning objectives and assessment opportunities. Each module also provides a description of each condition, guidance on how to spot the early signs and symptoms, and steps to enact early change. Head Ed videos feature insight from secondary school students and experts alike to provide an honest and open viewpoint, fit for the digital age.
From September, the Government mandated Health Education statutory guidance is becoming compulsory, making education about mental health topics mandatory as part of secondary PSHE. Head Ed was created to provide teachers with the means to deliver a thorough and effective mental health education to their pupils; helping young people to build resilience, enhance motivation to change, and seek early intervention when mental health concerns occur.
As schools have been closed, anxiety and uncertainty within students has seen a sharp rise. That many students are unsure about their futures and have lost out on opportunities for learning and social connections makes it increasingly important that educators provide support for their mental health come September. Fortunately, Head Ed will provide teachers with the resources they will need to initiate a frank and honest conversation about any warning signs and negative impacts on mental health as well as promote ways to build resilience and signpost to support and help. Students will learn through Head Ed, for example, that stress is a normal bodily response that can be positive and negative. They will be taught to understand how stress can affect someone, as well as how to manage it.
Head Ed Light, a bitesize self-guided, on-line version of the resource released for home study during COVID-19, is recommended to teachers by the Department for Education.
Teachers can sign up for free access to Head Ed here: https://education.stem4.org.uk/