Pupils and staff from a primary school near Wantage dressed in yellow to raise funds for a mental health charity supporting young people.
Children in all year groups at Charlton Primary School took part in a Hello Yellow fun day earlier this month to raise funds for YoungMinds, a leading charity supporting young people on mental health issues.
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Lyndsey Champ, who works in the school office, said headteacher Michelle Rooke invited all staff and pupils to join in.
Pupils take part in Hello Yellow day
She said: “It was great fun - some pupils and staff tried to wear all yellow clothes while others joined in just by wearing yellow socks.
“There was a treasure hunt and staff spoke to pupils about mental health.
“With the coronavirus children were out of school for a long time earlier this year.
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“That could have created some anxiety so it’s very important to support a mental heath charity like YoungMinds.
“Talking to the pupils about this sews the seeds early on about the importance of being happy and healthy.”
An online donation page was set up and £348 has been raised.
Ms Rooke said: "The school positively glowed, as children and staff sifted through their wardrobes to find a shade of yellow!
"Given the current climate, and the school's continuing focus on wellbeing, it seemed apt to support this amazing charity. The response to this was staggering, and when I last looked, our school community has raised an amazing £348."
Staff take part in Hello Yellow Day
New research by YoungMinds this month has shown that many young people with mental health problems are struggling to cope as they return to secondary school, after months of living through the Covid-19 crisis.
The charity strongly welcomes the reopening of schools, but warns that schools urgently need new funding to provide wellbeing and mental health support to meet the growing needs.
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In a survey with 2,011 11-18 year olds with a history of mental health needs carried out during the first four weeks of the new term, 61% of respondents agreed that their mental health had initially got worse since returning to school, while only 27% said that it had got better.
Only 15% agreed that there was enough information and support available for their mental health at their school, while 58% disagreed.
Almost a quarter of respondents (23%) said that there was less mental health support in their school than before the pandemic, while only 9% agreed that there was more mental health support.
The research suggests that schools face intense pressure to prioritise academic catch-up and safety measures, and that many do not have sufficient resources to make wellbeing and mental health a priority.
Charlton Primary School is part of the Vale Academy Trust.
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The Vale Academy Trust features eight schools in and around Wantage and Abingdon, with some 4,200 pupils – 2,500 secondary students at King Alfred’s and Larkmead, and 1,700 primary pupils at Charlton, Millbrook, St James C of E, St Nicholas C of E, Thameside and Wantage C of E primary schools.
The trust employs around 650 teaching and support staff, making us a significant employer in the local area.
For more on YoungMinds visit youngminds.org.uk.
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