Redwood Primary School joined Derby County Community Trust to shine the spotlight on World Mental Health Awareness Week with students and continue embracing our Winning Minds programme.

Winning Minds is our flagship youth mental wellbeing project which is delivered across schools. It engages children and young people through a school based programme, aiming to develop their personal skills such as confidence and self esteem. It is delivered across three key milestones through the year of a year 6 student: Targeted Intervention, SATS and Transition.

Redwood Primary was one of the schools who we worked with this last academic year and we are highlighting them for all their hard work and collaboration this year. Redwood have worked with us over Targeted Intervention and the SATS and Transition work. Redwood has embraced DCCT. 

The Sinfin-based school has been involved in Winning Minds for a number of years and are provide a great example on how beneficial it is for young students. 

During this time, students at Redwood have seen an improvement in mental wellbeing and resilience, increase in confidence and have had the opportunity to take part in a social action programme for their school. 

To welcome in such an important week , our Winning Minds team got the school to focus on self-esteem and confidence. Students were tasked to draw themselves and write positive messages and words about each other. This is just one of many ways our programme encourages students to not only boost themselves but to also be compassionate and supportive to their classmates. 

''The DCCT Health and Mental Well-Being programme has been a great benefit to our Year 6 children. It has taught them numerous strategies in order to manage their mental well-being and ways in which to recognise when they may need help. The discussions that have taken place during the sessions have been valuable to both children and staff. The children have enjoyed completing the booklets. They have been engaged in all activities and have enjoyed completing little home tasks that have been set, especially with the offer of prizes!

Due to the programme, we have implemented a 'weekly wins' box within our classroom where the children can share and celebrate their successes, no matter how big or small. This initiative is helping to promote positive mental health and we all enjoy reading each others' achievements each week.''

Teacher, Redwood Primary School

Students have also praised the programme, with some saying that it Reminds them who to go to when we need someone to talk. Others have said they are No longer afraid of going to secondary school and been able to keep positive throughout.