We are officially now a Mental Health Support Team (MHST) school. This means we are committed to building a mentally healthy environment; helping all members of the school community to feel confident, resilient and independent around their wellbeing.
MHSTs were established nationally to improve children and young people’s early access to mental health and well being services by providing support in schools. They work with children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
Within Somerset, the MHST is a jointly delivered service between Young Somerset and Somerset Foundation Trust CAMHS. It is also supported by Public Health England and the Education Psychology service. MHST staff work in collaboration with the Mental Health Lead at our school.
The three core functions of the MHST are:
If you would like to find out more, please speak to the Mental Health Lead in school.
For more information about the MHST please visit:
or
www.somersetft.nhs.uk/camhs/mental-health-support-in-schools-mhst/
Year 10 students have been helping to put the polythene sheets on the poly tunnel. This went extremely well as it was a lovely still day, albeit rather chilly. They did a grand job! We have also been concreting the access path, so we have added a ramped approach to make the farm more accessible to students.
As spring approaches (not quickly enough!) Year 10 and Year 11 have been preparing vegetable plots by removing the turfs and rotavating the ground, in readiness for potato planting. The seed potatoes are being generously donated by the parents of Ellie S in 10N. At the time of writing, we are preparing three vegetable plots with each one measuring approximately 6 x 4m.
They have also added some stepping stones for the approach to the poly tunnel, which I suspect will look better once the drier and warmer weather takes hold.
We have also started planting. Students in Year 11 have just sewed 20 strawberry plants in the poly tunnel and some of the Year 10 students have been busy preparing the seed trays and pots with compost.
We plan to plant a variety of vegetables, including peas and runner beans, so if any one has any spare pea sticks and bean poles we would be most grateful to receive them. Likewise, if anyone has any surplus seeds or indeed tomato plants we would be happy to take them off your hands!
Safer Internet Day 2025 is on 11th of February, with learning based around the theme “Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online”. It’s the UK’s biggest day of online safety. Each year it covers an online issue or theme that speaks about the things young people are seeing and experiencing online.
This Safer Internet Day we will assess the real scale of scams online and allow young people to share their experiences and ideas on how to tackle the problem. We’ll build on the important work being done to raise awareness of issues such as online financial sextortion and we’ll also consider the future of scams, answering questions such as:
How is changing technology like generative AI going to impact the approach of scammers?
What role can the government and internet industry take to tackle this threat?
What changes would young people like to see to help protect themselves?
Created in consultation with young people across the UK, Safer Internet Day 2025 will be focusing on the issue of scams online. For young people, we’ll be showing them how to protect themselves and others online, as well as what support is available to them. Safer Internet Day 2024 reached more young people than ever before, with 52% of UK children aged 8-17 hearing about the day.
Good luck to Noah M in Year 9, who will be representing England at the Dance World Cup 2025 finals later this year. The 13 year old qualified in three soloist categories: lyrical, contemporary and ballet.
The Year 9 student has been dancing since the age of four. He trains at Merge Dance Company, Trull School of Dancing and travels to London’s Covent Garden every weekend to train with the Royal Ballet School as a mid associate.
Lucy Campbell-Morgan, Noah’s mum, said: “We’re immensely proud, he works so hard and it has all paid off. He dances pretty much every day, but we make sure he has his day of rest.”
Noah aspires to have a career performing and was cast as Gavroche in the UK tour of Les Misérables when he was 11 years old. He is currently rehearsing for the role of Charlie in Yeovil Amateur Operatic Society’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which will show in March.
A just giving page raising funds to support Noah’s dance dreams has been set up at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lucy-campbell-dwc.
Noah’s mum added: “He is very excited at the prospect of representing his country.”
This article first appeared in the County Gazette.
Kingsmead School has won a prestigious award for its work supporting young carers with their education – the first secondary school in the county to achieve this honour under a new award scheme.
The Young Carers in Schools Award is part of a programme run by The Children’s Society and the Carers Trust. It provides primary and secondary schools across England with step-by-step guidance for teachers, leaders and non teaching staff to gain the practical tools they need to help young carers. In Somerset, the project is co-ordinated by Youth Unlimited CIC, a local not for profit organisation which specialises in professional youth services.
Anita Greenslade, Young Carers Administration Lead at Kingsmead, said: “We have been working towards achieving this award for a number of months and I am delighted that the award process has enabled us to improve the support we offer our pupils with caring responsibilities.”
Kingsmead has implemented a school wide young carers’ policy, has held awareness raising assemblies for pupils and training sessions for staff, created a young carers’ web page and hosts drop in sessions where young carers can speak to a trusted adult when they are feeling overwhelmed or in need of support.
Michelle Palmer from Youth Unlimited said: “Kingsmead has shown incredible dedication to their young carers. We are really proud of all the work they are doing and are so happy to be working alongside them in their commitment to identify, monitor and support the success and well-being of their young carers.”
Young carers are children under 18 who are responsible for the care of a family member with who, due to illness, disability, mental health condition or addiction, can’t cope without their support. Research by the Carers Trust suggests 40% of young carers believe they don’t get enough support to balance education and caring.
Research by The Children’s Society shows young carers get an average of one grade lower in GCSE subjects than their peers and they often also have lower levels of self confidence and mental well being. Young carers miss an average of 27 school days per year, which equates to about 70% of one full academic year.
Statutory guidance makes clear that all school staff should be particularly alert to the potential need for early help for young carers. The Young Carers in Schools Award programme is a way of helping schools address this and also celebrates the positive work they are doing.
Vicky Morgan from the Carers Trust said: “We’re delighted to present the Young Carers in Schools award to Kingsmead School. Figures show there are two young carers in every classroom, but balancing learning with looking after family members can be tough without help. By identifying young carers and putting support in place, schools and teachers can make a huge difference to their wellbeing and education. That’s why the brilliant work done by staff at Kingsmead School is so vital and why this award is so richly deserved.”
Lisa Witherden, Head of National Programmes at The Children’s Society, said: “Figures from the 2024 school census highlight that 72% of schools reported they had zero young carers in their pupil population. We know this simply isn’t true and that young carers are a hidden group of children and young people who need support to achieve the same level of success as their peers at school.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that Kingsmead School has achieved the Young Carers in Schools Award, demonstrating their commitment to identifying these hidden children and young people and ensuring they get the vital support they need to thrive in education and in life beyond school.”
The Young Carers in School programme is open to all schools in England. To learn more and register interest please visit:
https://youth-unlimited.co.uk/ycis-award/
The 2021 Census statistics revealed there are just over 120,000 young carers in England, but research reveals this is just the tip of the iceberg. The true figure could be closer to 800,000 young carers in England, equivalent to one in five secondary aged school children, many of whom are unrecognised and unsupported.
To achieve the award Kingsmead School has demonstrated that it supports young carers in many ways, including homework clubs and drop-in sessions with a member of staff who is responsible for this vulnerable group of pupils. Vital information about how to identify young carers is made available to all school staff, noticeboards and the school website let students and their families know where to go for help.
The Carers Trust is the UK charity working to transform the lives of unpaid carers across the UK. It partners with its network of local carer organisations to provide funding and support, deliver innovative and evidence-based programmes and raise awareness and influence policy. Last year it reached more than one million unpaid family carers.
To find your nearest local carer organisation for advice and support, visit carers.org
The Children’s Society fights for the hope and happiness of young people when it’s threatened by abuse, exploitation and neglect. We see the hope and courage in young people every day, and it inspires us to support them through their most serious life challenges.
