Pupils at Kennet School have been working in partnership with Mind in Berkshire to create a new student-led resource exploring digital wellbeing and the impact of life online. 

As part of the school’s Mental Health Forum, students drew on their own experiences to develop an engaging webinar and teaching resource titled Digital Balance: Caring for your Mind Online. Designed by young people, for young people, the project explores both the opportunities and challenges of digital life, from connection, creativity and community to social pressure, screen time and online safety. 

Through the project, pupils defined what digital wellbeing means to them and created a set of practical principles to support their peers - the 5 Ways to Digital Wellbeing: 

• Be active

• Stay safe 

• Set limits 

• Keep learning 

• Be kind. 

Thanks to funding from The Greenham Trust through West Berkshire Council, the resource will now be shared with schools across West Berkshire, extending its reach far beyond Kennet. 

Mr Joyce, Senior Mental Health Lead, commented: “Our pupils are deeply committed to supporting every member of our school community by raising awareness of key wellbeing issues and highlighting the support available. This series of webinars is the result of a fantastic collaborative effort with Oxfordshire Mind, Mind in Berkshire and Kennet’s Wellbeing Forum.  

“Under the guidance of Anna Gillies from Oxfordshire Mind and myself, our pupils have embraced the challenge and produced a set of thoughtfully planned and confidently delivered webinars. We are delighted with the outcome and incredibly proud to share a resource that will offer meaningful support to young people.” 

Kennet School values its ongoing partnership with Oxfordshire Mind and Mind in Berkshire, and remains committed to empowering young people to take an active role in supporting mental health across the school community.