Special sessions help pupils at Sunderland school beat exam stress

To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week three Sunderland schools brought in the experts once again.

Zoe Dipper, a Relax Kids coach, has been delivering stress-busting and anxiety management classes to the primary youngsters at Dubmire Primary Academy, Gillas Lane Primary Academy and Newbottle Primary Academy.

The three schools, all based in the Houghton area, are all part of the Aim High Academy Trust.

The Relax Kids programme is an award-winning seven-step programme which takes children from high energy to relaxation through games, stretches, massage, breathing and positive affirmations, using music and visualisations.

Extra sessions were held to mark the week of Mental Health Awareness.

Zoe said: “I have been working with Newbottle Primary Academy since 2016, and the feedback from children and parents was so wonderful that the Academy Trust decided to roll out the programme across all three schools this academic year and has recently committed to the same for the new academic year, starting in September.”

She said Denise Shovlin, the Aim High Academy director of safeguarding and pupil welfare, is extremely proactive in ensuring pupils from all three schools have access to the Relax Kids programme.

It supports their emotional wellbeing, as well as giving them lots of tips and tools to enable them to manage anxiety and worry at different times of their lives.

Zoe said the techniques are very useful during exam times when the children can be anxious.

She said: “I also held extra SATs stress-buster sessions at Newbottle Primary and Dubmire Primary, helping the Year 6 and Year 2 children feel cool, calm, and confident, and ready to give their best in those all-important tests.”

Mrs Shovlin said: “The emotional wellbeing of our pupils across all three schools within the Aim High Academy Trust is a priority.

“Our Relax Kids programmes are allowing pupils of all ages to become calm, relaxed and confident within a supportive environment.”

Anyone who is interested in the Relax Kids programme can contact Zoe at [email protected]