iSpace Wellbeing has explored the issues relating to children’s mental health and wellbeing and has been working with teachers, parents, healthcare professionals and children to ensure that a preventative, engaging, and evidence-based approach to children’s wellbeing education could become a reality. The importance of our children’s mental health and wellbeing is well known, as is its link with academic performance and overall achievement. Yet until now there has not been a wellbeing curriculum with a preventative approach.  iSpace aims to remove the stigma that surrounds mental health and recognises that to begin you must start at the beginning. Hence, we are delighted to be launching iSpace, The Wellbeing Curriculum with a supporting toolkit which consists of a manual, map and cards. This new and exciting initiative offers something for everyone involved in caring for children. It provides teachers, parents and healthcare professionals with an invaluable resource on ‘How to start the conversation about mental health and wellbeing with children’. This approach aims to provide adults with the knowledge and tools they have longed for and needed to give them the confidence to prepare children with understanding and knowledge, strategies and tools so that they can live life ready. The toolkit encourages children to talk about their mental health and wellbeing and can be used in a variety of ways from one to one conversations at the kitchen table or the teacher’s desk to the counsellor’s office or GP surgery.  It can also be used for group work and to support social workshops at school. It is engaging, fun and easy to use anywhere at any time. This exciting package known as our ‘Launch package’ is available to schools and healthcare professionals and the parents of iSpace member schools. This is to ensure that everyone is working together and using the same language, strategies and tools. But iSpace has not stopped there it appreciates that wellbeing education should be continuous. It appreciates that education is nothing without wellbeing. The government may have placed mental health on the education agenda for secondary schools but if we are to make a difference one must once again begin at the beginning. Therefore, iSpace Wellbeing has created The Wellbeing Curriculum for the primary sector. If we can teach children how and who to talk to about mental health and wellbeing from the age of 4 upwards and educate them on how to care for themselves, how to develop and maintain positive attitudes and behaviour, we can make a difference! The iSpace Wellbeing Curriculum for schools, known as our ‘Exploration package’ consists of a learning journey across a wellbeing galaxy.  The curriculum focuses on the physical, social and mental wellbeing of children from Reception to Year 6 (ages 4-11). The Pre-Prep (aged 4-7) children are introduced to their wellbeing journey through the iSpace themed ‘Start Stories’.  The Prep children (aged 7-11) travel across a wellbeing galaxy where they explore core concepts of their health and wellbeing whilst visiting iSpace themed planets. The adolescent curriculum #iWonder helps young people navigate through modern day life and focuses on wellbeing and life skills (age 11+). Adolescents can enjoy a totally different theme which corelates with their daily challenges. #iWonder is due to launch October 2018. Both The iSpace and #iWonder curriculums can be delivered through the PSHE timetable and include, Active Learning and Mindfulness Based Attention Training Techniques. The language, strategies, tools and techniques from the curriculums can be implemented across the whole school. The curriculums, support the belief that children and young people should be taught to prepare their parachute and to develop a set of tools and strategies so that they can cope when things get difficult. This approach aims to enhance their confidence, capability and creativity as problem-solvers and to boost their emotional intelligence, resilience and self-worth. Go to the iSpace packages for more information.

Paula Talman is the founder of iSpace Wellbeing. She is a mum, a registered nurse in both adult and paediatric nursing, a mental health first aider and mindfulness teacher. Currently a Director of Compliance, Health and Welfare within the education sector, she has a wealth of experience in child development and mental health within both the hospital and educational settings. Paula has an MSc in Nursing Science and has completed a research study on attitudes towards adolescence with mental health issues. She has a passion for supporting children with their mental, physical and social development as they journey through life.