More than 500 school students in Bedfordshire to be taught lessons on wellbeing

Nearly 600 students across Bedfordshire are to receive weekly emotional wellbeing and mental resilience lessons.

The expert training will be offered to four schools in Luton, Leighton Buzzard and Arlesey, integrating classes into the core curriculum of both primary and secondary school pupils.

It follows research conducted earlier this year which found that 81 per cent of parents believed schools should include mental resilience and emotional wellbeing alongside subjects like Maths and English.

The initiative is being rolled out following a multi-year corporate partnership with leading soft drinks manufacturer Britvic and wellbeing charity Bounce Forward.

As part of its work, the charity will deliver training for teachers and equip them with evidence-based learning resources, allowing them to create lessons that support children in becoming healthy and happy adults.

Lucy Bailey, chief executive Founder of Bounce Forward, said: “We’re delighted to see so many students in Bedfordshire benefiting from lessons in mental resilience and emotional wellbeing.

“Parents and students are looking to the classroom for support as they struggle in the face of unprecedented physical and mental health challenges. These lessons will play a key role helping to equip children with the tools needed to manage challenging situations in day-to-day life.”

Schools across Bedfordshire have been nominated by Britvic employees to integrate lessons that help children identify damaging, unhelpful and negative thoughts, set rules in relationships, stick up for themselves, take responsibility for their feelings and actions, and learn that positive mental health is achieved through skills and techniques that are useful throughout life.Kathryn Partridge, Britvic group corporate affairs director, added “I’m extremely proud of our partnership with Bounce Forward and all the work they’re doing to support students up and down the country.

“Beyond our financial partnership, our team has taken it upon themselves to fundraise for the charity and even nominate schools in their communities to work with Bounce Forward.”

So far, across the UK, the partnership has seen a total of 58 schools look to work with Bounce Forward this school year to introduce wellbeing-based lessons to the classroom.