A free toolkit with some resources and tips to help you address anxiety arising from the coronavirus (COVID-19). In this toolkit you will find: a booklet to support schools, videos to provide practical guidance and tips to schools, parents and carers about coronavirus and mental health, activities to ease anxiety that can be done at school or at home and other helpful advice, helplines and resources for adults and children. #coronavirus #covid-19 #covid19mentalhealth

Use this “Getting to know me” activity with your primary school class at the start of the school year to help pupils get to know themselves a little better and to set a goal that they would like to work towards. This activity will also help give you a sense of their character. This task will encourage pupils to think about how they look, their personality, the things they enjoy doing, and who are the important people in their lives. The worksheet finishes with a goal that pupils can set themselves to achieve – or work towards completing - by the end of the school year. Teachers can revisit these goals during the last term. Pupils can either set these goals themselves, work in groups or teachers can ask pupils to work as a class to set a goal for everyone to work towards. The second worksheet is aimed at pupils who are working in groups or as a class to set an achievable goal. This may be more suitable for pupils working at lower key stage 1 or for children with SEND. For more primary mental health resources visit www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk

Using the metaphor of a jigsaw puzzle, this assembly helps children to think about the different roles they and others play in the school community. You could deliver this assembly as children return to school after lockdown. This assembly and associated activity pack, should support the children to feel a sense of belonging and understand their place in the school, hopefully bringing a renewed feeling of unity and community along with positivity about being back at school. Using this resource This resource is designed for: children aged 3 to 11 use in a whole-school or whole year group assembly This resource forms part of our rebuild and recover set of resources, designed to help schools come back together and support their pupils’ wellbeing after lockdown.

This activity allows pupils to set goals for the future academic year, reflect on themselves, their strengths and their weaknesses and practice letter writing. This “Getting to know me” activity includes an activity plan for teachers, a printable letter template for pupils to write a letter to their future selves and a printable envelope to put the letter in. There is one letter template for all pupils and one for pupils working at lower key stage 2 and for those with SEND. For more primary mental health resources visit www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk

This activity uses the idea of puzzles to help children think about what makes them unique, and the role they play in your school community. Following lockdown, your pupils and staff may feel like their school community is a bit fragmented. It is natural, in the circumstances, for some people to feel slightly anxious about returning to school or coping with the changes to school routine. These activities, along with the accompanying assembly, should support the children to feel a sense of belonging and understand their place in the school, hopefully bringing a renewed feeling of unity and community along with positivity about being back at school. Using this resource This resource forms part of our rebuild and recover set of resources, designed to help schools come back together and support their pupils’ wellbeing after lockdown. This resource is designed for: children aged 3 to 11 use with whole classes Curriculum links England - PSHE Living in the wider world Pupils learn: • about the different roles and responsibilities people have in their community (KS1) • to value the different contributions that people and groups make to the community (KS2) Northern Ireland - Personal Development and Mutual Understanding• Personal Understanding and Health Pupils should be enabled to explore: • themselves and their personal attributes; (Foundation) • their self–esteem and self-confidence; (KS1) • their self-esteem, self-confidence and how they develop as individuals; (KS2) Mutual Understanding in the local and wider community Pupils should be enabled to explore: • learning to live as a member of a community; (Foundation) • developing themselves as members of a community (KS1) playing an active and meaningful part in the life of the community and being concerned about the wider environment. (KS2) Wales – Health and Wellbeing Statement 5 - Healthy relationships are fundamental to our well-being. Scotland - Health and Wellbeing Social Wellbeing • I recognise that each individual has a unique blend of abilities and needs. I contribute to making my school community one which values individuals equally and is a welcoming place for all. • Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community.

Download the Mentally Healthy Schools free toolkit about internet safety, packed full of practical teaching resources for primary school staff. The toolkit includes lesson plans, videos, quizzes, animations, assembly plans and information and guidance. It covers topics such as cyberbullying, gaming, social media, website use and other online risks. Find more resources at www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk

A free toolkit with resources and tips to help support the mental health and wellbeing of school staff, parents, carers and children. In this toolkit you will find: resources for staff wellbeing, including carers and headteachers, resources to help communicate the coronavirus outbreak to children with SEND and responding to the unique challenges that may arise for vulnerable children. There are also some further resources to help manage anxiety and improve wellbeing. #coronavirus #covid19 #covid-19

This resource uses an illustration and basic drama techniques to get children thinking about happiness and where it comes from. Children will explore concepts like happiness and gratitude, and think about how social media might affect how we feel about ourselves and others. Using this resource This resource is designed for: children aged 9 and above use in small groups This resource is linked to curricular across the UK. England - RSHE Mental wellbeing • simple self-care techniques, including the importance of rest, time spent with friends and family and the benefits of hobbies and interests Internet Safety and Harms • about the benefits of rationing time spent online, the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices and the impact of positive and negative content online on their own and others’ mental and physical wellbeing Respectful Relationships • the importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness Northern Ireland - Personal Development and Mutual Understanding PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING AND HEALTH Pupils should be enabled to explore: • their self–esteem and self-confidence (KS1) • strategies and skills for keeping themselves healthy and safe (KS1) • their self-esteem, self-confidence and how they develop as individuals (KS2) • how to sustain their health, growth and well-being and coping safely and efficiently with their environment (KS2). Wales – Health and Wellbeing Statement 2 - How we process and respond to our experiences affects our mental health and emotional well-being. Statement 3 - Our decision-making impacts on the quality of our lives and the lives of others. Scotland - Health and Wellbeing Mental and Emotional Wellbeing •I understand that my feelings and reactions can change depending upon what is happening within and around me. This helps me to understand my own behaviour and the way others behave. · I understand the importance of mental wellbeing and that this can be fostered and strengthened through personal coping skills and positive relationships