Article - Fresh Start in Education

Children’s Mental Health Week: ‘This is My Place”

Children’s Mental Health Week is a vital opportunity to reflect on how we support children and young people’s emotional wellbeing, particularly those who find education challenging. This year’s theme, “This is My Place,” highlights the importance of belonging, emotional understanding and supportive relationships in helping children thrive both emotionally and academically.

WHEN EDUCATION EXCLUDES, IT MUST CHANGE

Each year, International Day of Education invites us to reflect on how education works — and who it works for. This year’s theme, “The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education,” highlights an essential truth: young people must be involved in shaping the education systems that affect their lives.

Christmas: Why It’s Not Always the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

For many, Christmas is painted as a joyful season: bright lights, family gatherings, gifts, celebration and time to rest. But for a significant number of the young people and families we support, the festive period can feel anything but “merry and bright”.

“The Silent Surge: Autism on the Rise”

Over the past few decades, schools and services have noticed a steady rise in the number of children identified with additional needs, including autism and other neurodevelopmental differences. It can sometimes feel as though these numbers have exploded - you might often see or hear people on the news or around the dinner table proclaiming, Autism just didn’t exist in my day! or It’s just woke parenting!

“WHEN WE SPEAK, BULLYING LOSES POWER”

The Anti–Bullying Alliance reported that in the year ending March 2023, an estimated 1.5 million children aged 10-15 in England experienced in-person bullying, and 847,000 experienced online bullying. Research from Anti-Bullying Week 2024 found that 1 in 4 young people under 25 are currently experiencing bullying, with 77% having been bullied at some point in their lives. Other data shows that children with disabilities and those eligible for free school meals are at a higher risk of being bullied.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Each October, Black History Month offers us the opportunity not only to celebrate the achievements of Black people throughout history but also to reflect on the lessons their journeys continue to teach us today. This year’s theme, “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” is a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and identity that sit at the heart of Black history and of education itself.

THE ART OF PROGRESS

When your working life follows the rhythm of the academic year, you are gifted an additional ‘New Year’ to enjoy every autumn. As August draws to a close, with darker evenings and chilly mornings, so also the dawning of a new academic year starts, bringing new challenges and a fresh resolve to continue making a difference in the lives of vulnerable young people.

Young People: Resilient, Resourceful and Ready

August 12th won’t be a day circled in many calendars, but it’s an important day to us. International Youth Day is a global movement, taking the time to acknowledge potential and understand the perspective of the next generation.

World Friendship Day!

The 30th July marks World Friendship Day (also known as the International Day of Friendship) and is a special occasion celebrated around the globe to recognise the importance of friendship between individuals, communities, and nations. This event serves as a reminder of the power of camaraderie and understanding in creating a more peaceful and connected world.

HOW CREATIVE ARTS UNLOCK EMOTIONAL GROWTH

Time after time in meetings here at Fresh Start, I hear testimonies and success stories of young people that we work with. Students that couldn’t leave the house, wouldn’t engage in schools, or simply struggle with mainstreams “traditional education”, having a significant turnaround or sharp increase in engagement with our Education Specialists.

World Eating Disorders Action Day – Spotlight on ARFID

There are many different types of eating disorders that people can suffer from. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is one of the least understood and studied.

STATE OF MIND: A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION

I have spent a long time mulling over what to write in this blog. How do you cover such an important and wide-ranging topic such as mental health without missing out important elements and in so few words? You don’t – and ultimately, that is the point. We cannot fix the UK’s mental health crisis with a blog or an article. Mental health is an evolving epidemic and the conversation must grow and adapt to match.