Child mental health has worsened since COVID-19 school closures and the cost of living crisis. Now, 1 in 5 children have a suspected mental health condition. Loss of routine and unstable home environments have contributed to this decline, impacting academic performance. More so in deprived areas.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Many children start the primary school day not ready to learn. They arrive tired and dysregulated, often because they have not had a healthy breakfast. They come to school with mental health issues that don't meet the threshold for intervention. When children are not ready for their school day, it slows their progress, leads to disruptive classroom behaviour, and makes it difficult to get along with others. We want all children to kick start their school day nourished and ready to learn.
Solution
Kick Start is a 7-week programme, held for 1 hour each week in the morning before school, providing a healthy breakfast. It includes physical, creative, cognitive (based on CBT/DBT models), and mindfulness activities to prepare children for their day. Each week features a theme of travelling around the world, with activities centred around the continent being 'visited'.Clear expectations for behaviour are set, emphasising modelled good behaviour, and positive reinforcement is given.
