The King's Bruton community enjoyed a fantastic Mental Health Awareness Week

May 16th 2025

What a fantastic Mental Health Awareness Week the pupils and staff have enjoyed at King’s Bruton. Helped with clear blue skies and sunshine, pupils have embraced all of the events offered to them. This year the theme was 'Community' and Sam, Abi and Fraser launched the week in Assembly on Monday. Every year group had a juice and cookies session at some point during the week which was 20 minutes to relax with friends and it was also an opportunity for pupils to add a thought to our Positivity Community Tree which has proved very popular this week. On Thursday, we had a superb whole school dance which involved around 140 pupils and staff coming together to do 3 famous dances led by a choreographer. L6^th Form boys dressed up for the occasion and helped lead the King’s Community in this activity and have a lot of fun in the process. Everyone was laughing and smiling throughout and they all enjoyed the strawberry cornettoes at the end. Finally, we had a mufti day with a touch of green on Friday along with a colour run. The pupils absolutely loved this and ended up covered from head to toe in coloured powder. This raised over £600 for our School charity Justice and Care and was a perfect way to end our Mental Health Awareness Week.

Thank you to Dr Larsen, Samuel, Grace S, Jared, Abi, Fraser and Grace C for helping me organise and run the events this week.

Emily Simper - Deputy Head Pastoral

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Sam’s Assembly Speech

The EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) Committee want to talk to you about something that affects every single one of us, our mental health. This week is the school’s designated mental health week, and is a time for our school come together to raise awareness about mental health issues and to remind each other that it's okay to not be okay.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. It’s about how we think, feel, and cope with everyday life. When our mental health is strong, we can learn better, connect better with others, and handle challenges more easily. But when it's struggling, even small tasks can feel overwhelming. A recent study from the NHS states that 1 in 5 people aged 8 to 16 struggle with their metal health. Mental health is a problem which can affect everyone, that’s why it is so important if you are suffering with poor mental health to not be afraid to reach out for help and tell someone you trust. Often sharing a problem with a trusted adult, no matter how big or small, can really make a difference and change how you are feeling.

That’s why this week matters. It gives us a chance to check in with ourselves and the people around us. It reminds us that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and that support is always available. In school, mental health is especially important. Stress, pressure, and expectations can pile up quickly, particularly this term with upcoming GCSE and A Level exams. By talking openly, being kind to one another, and supporting friends who may be having a hard time, we can create a community where everyone feels safe and understood. That’s why, this year, our theme for the week is community. I will now hand over to Abi, I will tell us more about why community is so important.

Abi’s Speech

This years Mental Health Awareness Week focuses on a theme that affects us all - Community.

Being a part of a community is more than just being around other people. It’s about feeling included, supported and truly connected. The Mental Health Foundation reminds us that we thrive when we have strong relationships and supportive environments that help show us that we are not alone. At Kings, our community includes classmates, friends and teachers. When we feel safe and accepted in these spaces, our mental health improves. Having people, we can talk to, who listen to us, and who make us feel like we belong is incredibly important. It helps reduce feelings of loneliness and stress, and gives us a sense of security and confidence, especially during difficult times.

Being part of a positive community means we’re looking out for one another. That could be as simple as asking someone how they are, inviting them to join in, or just sitting and chatting with someone who might need company. These small actions can help make a big difference to someone’s mental health. This week, and beyond, let’s all try to be there for one another. Think about how you can help create a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued. Whether you’re checking in with a friend, sharing a kind word, or just listening - every little bit counts. I will now pass onto Fraser who will talk through the events of the week that focus on this theme.

Fraser’s Speech

I’d like to take a moment to outline the events you can look forward to over the coming week - occasions designed to bring our school community together. On Monday and Tuesday, there will be tea and cakes served at 4pm by Abrahall’s Tower. These gatherings are for year groups undertaking exams this year: 5^th Form has this on Monday, and the entirety of 6^th Form is invited on Tuesday. On Wednesday, pupils in the 3^rd and 4^th Form can enjoy a similar afternoon with cakes and games on Abbey, beginning at 4.30pm, immediately after lessons. On Thursday there will be a whole-school dance in the Memorial Hall Circle at 4pm. On Friday, we invite everyone to take part in a mufti day- the theme is “Wear Something Green”. Then at 4pm, all year groups will gather outside Lyon for a Colour Run. The forecast looks really good and those of you who did it last year had a great time. You can run or walk it and there will be ice lollies afterwards. There will be a £2 charge on the school bill per person for the mufti day/Colour Run that will go towards the school charity Justice and Care. There will also be other events in House which your EDI L6TH REPS will be organising. It promises to be a great week with community events and lots of sunshine.

A note from some of our pupils about Mental Health Awareness Week

My favourite part of Mental Health Awareness was the group dance out in the sun! It really brought everyone together, and was the perfect opportunity to have a laugh after a long day of lessons. Spending the time outside instead of in-house felt amazing, and the ice creams weren’t bad either! It was lovely to enjoy something across all year groups, and it was great fun to see the L6th in their fancy dress.

Grace S, L6 Wellesley

During Mental Health Week, the 3rd Form had such a lovely time on Abbey, and where just relaxing, eating cakes and playing games together. It was so calm and peaceful, and the whole vibe felt really wholesome. Everyone was just enjoying the moment, laughing and chatting without any pressure. It was a nice reminder that sometimes the simplest things can make you feel really good and can help improve somebody’s mental health.

Grace C, L6 Priory

Today was marked by a major day in the EDI and King's Bruton events calendar, the Colour Run. Starting off on Hyde the school in its entirety ran a lap of the playing fields, being plastered with colour as they went. This opportunity provided a great chance to get outside, enjoy the sun and get covered head to toe in paint, putting a smile on people's faces and, in the end, all for an amazing cause, Mental Health Week.

Will, L6 Blackford