The BRIT School has always had the student experience at its core, showing priority and a commitment to wellbeing and mental health. 

For three decades, thousands of students have flourished in their lives due to a supportive and kind learning environment. In a recent report, published by Flow Associates launched as part of the School’s 30 year anniversary, 98% of graduates agreed or strongly agreed that “BRIT made me feel welcome, regardless of my financial or ethnic background or sexual orientation.” It is a place to be you, fully accepted and embraced no matter what your background or mental health journey you are experiencing. 

 

This week The BRIT School has celebrated Mental Health Awareness week, the theme of which is loneliness, with a range of supportive events organised by the Pastoral and Student Experience teams.

On Wednesday KS4 student assembly welcomed a mental health panel of experts, featuring Yaw Asante, Actor, Mentor, Mixologist and 2013 Theatre Alum, Jackie Marua, record producer and Ambassador for Suicide & Co, Yolanda Antonio, Head of BRIT’s counselling service, and Claire Gildersleve, our Thrive Programme Coach. They spoke about their experiences of mental health and supporting others, with a focus on loneliness and connection. The students asked their own poignant questions, and it was great to see such a captive audience engaged in an important discussion about mental health.

We welcomed back the mental health charity CALM: Campaign Against Living Miserably who held a stall in the foyer, talking to all of our students about mental health awareness and what they can do to support others. CALM will be back again next week to talk to the Year 12 Hamlet cast about the work they do. 

With Year 11 exams fast approaching, the Library hosted a special ‘BRIT is Talking’ session for all Year 11 students. This was an opportunity for them to enjoy a range of relaxing activities such as mindfulness colouring and biscuit decorating and to talk through any worries or concerns they had in the run up to exams. This was a lovely and heart-warming session, giving students the space to talk, connect and share a few laughs (and biscuits!).

 

Throughout the week, our Post 16 students have been looking at the idea of loneliness during their PPD sessions, exploring the link between loneliness and mental health and how to create meaningful connections. BRIT Pastoral Care have also been sharing resources and support about loneliness and mental health on Instagram. If you want to see some of the support and resources offered to our students, follow @britpastoralcare and @brit_library_ on Instagram, or see our online pastoral hub: 

https://sites.google.com/brit.croydon.sch.uk/britpastoralcare/home

If you would like to make a donation to support our work, please  visit: https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/11242#!/DonationDetails