We recently welcomed Dick Moore to school to speak to staff, parents and pupils about the importance of wellbeing. As Assistant Head in charge of Staff Development, Andrew Rowlandson reflects on Dick's visit to school and the importance of his advice and insight.
Over half-term, three dads embarked on a fundraising challenge to raise money for Papyrus, a charity which supports young people at risk of suicide (www.3dadswalking.uk). They raised over £500,000 walking between their homes in Cumbria, Manchester and Kings Lynn and received local and national media coverage. I was particularly moved by their interview on BBC Breakfast which outlined the motivation behind their walk and the stories of how each of their daughters had taken their own life.
It was nearly a year ago that we invited Dick Moore to speak to our staff as part of our recent Staff Training Day. Amid Covid lockdowns, we were not clear on what content we would need him to deliver but we knew that the next 12 months would be challenging and felt that Dick’s voice would be a helpful one to hear. Indeed, Dick’s visit felt timely.
On 19 September 2011 Dick’s son Barney took his own life. Since then, Dick, a former head teacher, has committed to educating young people and those with responsibility for them, about their mental health and wellbeing. During his time with us, Dick spoke to staff about how we can support pupils and each other. He explored signs and symptoms of depression, different forms of self-harm and offered tips on how to create a mentally healthy school. To join up our approach, Dick also unpacked these topics with parents and pupils in L5 and L6.
Dick has a remarkable ability to unpack sensitive topics with clarity, warmth, insight and humour. He is not afraid to be controversial or to challenge the status quo. Dick’s experience as a head ensures he understands the way schools work and can offer valuable advice on how we can improve our practices for the benefit of staff and pupils.
We look forward to Dick returning in January to provide further in-depth Mental Health First Aid training for pastoral leads.