Mental Health & Managing Transition (KS2)
60-minute high quality, detailed & flexible workshops or assemblies.
Performed to students in small or large groups.
May suit carousel days or one-off visits. Available throughout the year.
How do the sessions run?
Our workshops are performed by 3 professional actors.
We start by breaking down what we are covering in the sessions: we explore the definitions, clarify facts and any laws surrounding the topic, and invite the students to answer questions and get involved.
The students are then shown scenes with characters in everyday, relatable situations.
We use elements of Augusto Boal's 'Forum Theatre: following scenes which see young characters with conflicting objectives, we freeze the action and split the audience into groups; the students are invited to advise the characters about what to do next. This is designed to allow students to articulate opinions and feelings in a safe, objective environment.
What We Cover
What is Mental Health, What Affects My Mental Health and What Can I Do to Manage Change & Emotions.
Our Mental Health & Managing Transition workshop for KS2 explores issues included in the PSHE Suggested Programme of Study (Core Theme 1 - Health & Wellbeing & Core Theme 2 - Relationships).
We start by identifying the themes and defining the meaning of 'mental health' and 'transition'.
Using a true and false game, we take a focused look at the facts and myths surrounding mental health, including what affects physical, mental & emotional health, healthy eating & exercise & how this affects mental health and understanding "sad" feelings.
Using scenes and scenarios, we explore how change affects our feelings and sometimes our behaviour.
The students are invited to give advice to a character who is feeling down because she is moving schools; and a character whose parents are getting divorced. Their friend is trying to cheer them up.
We conclude by outlining help and resources available.
We're more than happy to tailor the workshop upon request to focus on any issues you feel are particularly relevant to your students.
Included with the workshop
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Teachers further work pack
Why is it so important to discuss mental health & transition with young people?
We all have mental health and we must take care of it in the same way we would our physical health. We all experience change and transitions, but often, changes will impact young people's emotional well-being.
A YouGov/MQ and Forster survey in 2016 showed that 51% of young people would be embarrassed to talk about mental health.
Young Minds, PAPYRUS, Childline & NSPCC have all said 'more open and frank conversations should be encouraged with children.'
UpFront Theatre Company's KS2 Mental Health & Managing Transition Workshop is factual and open; by exploring resilience, we hope to leave the children with tools and coping mechanisms which they can implement in their own lives.