Lockers Park School Talks Mental Health

Lockers Park Preparatory School, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, this week welcomed Mr Dick Moore (pictured above left, with Headmaster Christopher Wilson), a passionate advocate for mental health in children and teens, to host a talk for parents and staff on Mental Well-Being in Children and Young People.

Mental health problems affect about 1 in 10 children and young people and a significant percentage of children and young people who experience mental health problems do not receive appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age. The emotional well-being of children is just as important as their physical health and good mental health allows children to develop skills and helps them to grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Since 2012, Mr Moore has visited schools, universities and organisations to help raise awareness of mental health issues. Using a mixture of humour and grief, Mr Moore informed the attentive Lockers Park audience about issues, often hidden and silent, that many young people face. Mr Moore said: ‘It is vital to identify the signs of mental health problems early on, whether that be within your own child or recognisable in a friend’s child. Even just a little extra help from friends or family can make a big difference.’

Headmaster Christopher Wilson observed: ‘Lockers Park is a school community that looks after the well-being of its pupils and we take that role seriously. We have provision within the school via our school counsellor and through the Pastoral Committee alongside tutors, boarding staff and school nurse. We also know that being in good physical health, eating a balanced diet and enjoying regular exercise all help to keep children mentally well. However, there is always more to learn for all of us, so we were really pleased to be able to open our doors to Mr Moore. There is still much work to be done in driving awareness of mental health in schools but educating parents and teachers on how to navigate mental health problems and find solutions is a step in the right direction.’

Lockers Park is a day and boarding school for boys aged 7-13 with a Pre-Prep for boys and girls aged 4-7. Situated on the outskirts of Hemel Hempstead, the school holds an excellent academic reputation, priding itself on preparing pupils for the country’s leading public and independent senior schools. Visit www.lockerspark.herts.sch.uk for further information.