Stress Control in Schools – approaches to support young people, teachers and parents
TUESDAY 03 OCTOBER 2017
THE ACADEMY - WHEATLEY HOUSE, CENTRAL GLASGOW
HALF-DAY TRAINING SEMINAR
Event Outline
Originally developed for adults within the NHS, ‘Stress Control’ is about training and supporting individuals to become more emotionally resilient; to understand stress and to be able to manage their own feelings and thoughts – essentially, to develop the skills to become their own therapist.
Piloted in St Paul’s High School in Pollok, a new version of the programme has recently been developed for schools – providing eight dedicated PSE lesson plans teaching generic stress control skills to pupils; as well as training teachers in stress control techniques, ensuring schools can deliver early mental health interventions at no extra time or cost. Parents are also engaged as part of the programme in an attempt to ensure pupils, parents and teachers benefit from sharing similar skills and a similar language around mental health.
Specially designed in partnership with Dr Jim White, the Consultant Clinical Psychologist behind ‘Stress Control’, this half-day training seminar will offer delegates a taster of the Stress Control in Schools programme. Using a mix of presentations and interactive roundtable sessions, the seminar will explore:
- What is stress? And how can it be managed?
- The aims, outcomes and lessons learned from the Stress Control in Schools pilot project
- The advantages of teaching generic stress control skills to secondary pupils and consider whether classes should be extended to younger, primary-age children
- Widening stress control classes to develop a holistic approach to mental health in schools
- The benefits to, and practicalities of, teaching pupils, parents and teachers similar skills and a similar language around mental health
- Next steps and how you can take this forward in your school
Supported by
Speakers
Dr. Jim White
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Stress Control
Pauline Logan
Deputy Head Teacher, St Paul's High School
Pupils from St Paul's High School
Agenda
08:30-09:00 Registration and morning refreshments
09:00-09:15 Welcome and introductions
Dr Jim White, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Stress Control & Pauline Logan, Deputy Head Teacher, St Paul’s High School
Stress Control in Schools – early intervention and prevention
09:15-09:35 The ‘Stress Control in Schools’ project – a review
- Aims and first steps
- Training teachers and delivering the eight weekly, single period classes
- Project outcomes and lessons learned
- Further developments and next steps
09:35-10:00 What is stress?
Detailed examination of Stress Control in Schools Session 1: “What is stress?”
- How do you know if someone is stressed?
- The jigsaw
- Stress Control in nine words (face your fears, be more active, boost your wellbeing)
10:00-10:30 Small group discussion: Teaching generic stress control skills to all 4th Year pupils
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of this approach?
- Are there any challenges or barriers to achieving this?
- Should classes be extended to younger (including primary-age) pupils?
10:30-10:45 Tea and coffee break, opportunities for networking
Helping young people become their own therapist – Taster sessions of the ‘Stress Control in Schools’ classes
10:45-11:45 How the class works – “Controlling your Body”
- Signs and symptoms
- Caffeine and exercise
- Belly breathing
How the class works – “Controlling your Thoughts”
- Signs and symptoms
- Everyday mindfulness: stop and smell the roses
- Mindful belly breathing and Leaves in the stream
How the class works – “Controlling panicky feelings”
- The TAB model: Thoughts, Actions and Body
- Hyperventilation
- Combining the skills
How the class works – “Boosting your wellbeing”
- Flourishing and Languishing
- Four a day
- Compassion and gratitude
Stress Control for teachers and parents too
11:45-12:10 Stress Control for pupils, teachers and parents
Comparing the pupil and adult versions of ‘Stress Control’. Detailed examination of Session 4: “Problem Solving”
- Avoidance and Behaviour
- Face your fears
- Problem Solving
Taking what you have heard into your school
12:10-12:40 Small group discussion: Widening stress control classes to develop a holistic approach to mental health in schools
- Do we need a holistic approach to mental health in schools?
- What are the benefits to, and practicalities of, teaching pupils, parents and teachers similar skills and a similar language around mental health?
- Are there any challenges or barriers to achieving this and how can we help?
12:40-13:00 Taking what you have heard into your school
Summary, individual and group reflections and next steps
13:00 Seminar close
Venue
Hosted by
The Academy
Wheatley House
150 Ingram Street
Glasgow
G1 1DW
www.wheatley-group.com/the-academy/