Hellesdon High School, located in Norwich, England, is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status, committed to providing a diverse range of academic, social, and cultural opportunities for its students.
As part of the Wensum Trust, the school aims to create an ambitious and caring environment, fostering the overall wellbeing of its students.
We are delighted to have partnered with them as part of the ‘Norfolk RISE Up’ programme funded by Norfolk County Council.
Hellesdon PE department have done a fantastic job of implementing the programme to improve mental health outcomes for their young people.
Brilliant 2nd in PE, James Reeve, talks us through their intent for the RISE Up programme, how they implemented it, and its impact on their young people.
Challenge:
“After the challenges posed by lockdown, the school identified a growing concern regarding the mental health and wellbeing of our students. The school's leadership team, including Alli McLlellan, Deputy Principal, recognised an increasing prevalence of anxiety and attendance issues among our young people.
Discovery and Intent:
There was a significant emphasis on enhancing our RSHE curriculum schoolwide, under the leadership of Niall Sulley, and as a PE department we spotted an opportunity to support and generate improved outcomes for our young people.
During a department meeting in the summer of 2022, Alli McLlellan and our Head of PE, Dean Heron highlighted the need for intervention in addressing mental health challenges and the opportunity for us to complete the RISE Up teacher training course.
As a team we jumped at the opportunity as we could see the connection between physical activity and mental wellbeing.
We also wanted to help our young people develop their own self-care toolkits so that they could use these tools long after they have left our care.
Implementation
Recognising the importance of incorporating health and wellbeing education into the PE curriculum, we initially planned to target Key Stage 3 students but we ended up delivering the RISE Up programme to include all year groups from Year 7 to 11.
We had recently shifted to 100-minute PE lessons, so we strategically integrated the RISE Up programme as a starter activity, balanced with various fitness training methods to suit the unique needs of each class before they moved on to their next activity area for the rest of the lesson.
As a department, we began to think creatively about fitness and became more attuned to our students' needs, fostering a more receptive learning environment.
RISE Up has become a regular feature at the start of each lesson, setting the tone for each half term. We have tweaked the balance of PE lessons to increase physical activity, leveraging student voice to understand their preferences.
Content has been targeted to cater to each class's unique needs, addressing everything from breaking stigma in Year 7 to exploring the impact of sleep in Year 10.
These are this half term’s focus areas:
Year 7 – Breaking the stigma, it's okay not to be okay
Year 8 – Building confidence
Year 9 – Turning worries into positive actions to reduce anxiety
Year 10 – The Impact of sleep on our mental health
Year11 – Getting our daily dose - accessing the four happiness chemicals
As our young people go through the school they will develop a wide range of self-care tools they can use now and in the future.
Impact:
After initial doubts from some of our young people, we witnessed positive changes. Some of our Year 11’s in particular, found motivation in the various activities, while the introduction of yoga and dance activities made PE more engaging and personally relevant, particularly for some of our girls.
We completed the School Wellbeing Scorecard Pre and Post implementation. Our score increased to 78%, showing an improvement of 49%.
Pre Intervention:
Post Intervention:
We are also proud that one of our PGCE students last year is now leading the RISE Up programme in her new school.
Moving forward
As a School of Sanctuary, we are currently completing the ‘Trauma-Informed PE’ teacher training course within our department to reflect our commitment to creating a truly inclusive PE environment that considers the impact of trauma on our students' wellbeing.”
Proud leaders
Alli McLlellan, Deputy Principal, said:
‘Promoting mental health and wellbeing is integral to our strategic framework, ensuring we address the holistic needs of every child.
We are committed to providing comprehensive support through each student's journey with us. We take pride in our PE department's significant contribution to this through the Rise Up programme.’
Thank You Inspirational Teachers
Hellesdon High School has made significant strides in improving the wellbeing and engagement of its students.
By focusing on the link between physical activity and mental health, the academy has created a supportive environment that empowers young people to flourish now and long after they have left their care.
At Future Action, we want to thank Mr Reeve and the brilliant team at Hellesdon who go above and beyond for their young people every single day. They are fantastic role models and we love partnering with them and many similar teachers across the country.
We would also like to thank Norfolk County Council for funding the Norfolk RISE Up programmes for all primary, secondary and special schools in Norfolk to protect vital school budgets.
If you are a teacher in a Norfolk School and would like to access our RISE Up Wellbeing or Trauma Informed PE courses then please get in touch here.
Do you want to improve your students' wellbeing?
Take the first steps here by completing our 'School Wellbeing Scorecard here.
This action will help you map your school's wellbeing provision in 3 minutes and identify the key areas to focus on for your setting.
You will receive a personalised report and a complimentary login to our taster ‘RISE Up’ course. Here you will be able to experience Step 1 and 2 of our 9 Step RISE Up teacher training course.
Join our waiting list
We offer a range of services from courses, consultancy, keynote speaking and our book 'Time to RISE Up'.
To express an interest in exploring building a partnership with us, join our waiting list here:
Subscribe to our weekly term time email for the latest wellbeing insights and case studies here.
Thank you for all you give to your young people and have a brilliant week.
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