It has been an amazing week at The Henley College celebrating RAMPS week.
RAMPS week at the Henley college has been a hugely successful week long event. The week itself was possible by utilising part of a grant that was received by the Henley Educational Trust for the wellbeing and mental health of our students. The grant application was to cover:
Guest speakers and workshops for students to cover:
- Government Prevent Strategy
- Teen mental health – risky behaviours, anxiety, depression, exam related stress and being safe online
- Safe driving
Organised by Student Services, RAMPS week is a series of activities, events and training on mental health and wellbeing.
RAMPS stands for:
R = Risky behaviours
A= Anxiety/Awareness
M= Mental health
P = Prevent
S = Stress/Strategies
On Tuesday 4th February, special guests were invited to thank the Henley Educational Trust for their contribution. Colin Homet and Maureen Smith from the Henley Educational Trust came along to find out more about what the College are doing and meet Otis the College welfare dog. James Taylor, who is studying a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in IT said “Otis is so good for people who are nervous, it can really calm them down and take their minds off stress”
Ken Arlett, the Mayor of Henley came along to find out more and meet with students, including the student leadership team and the Student Union.
President Emily Foster said, “It’s really good to talk about ourselves in an open environment. If schools and colleges can prove the impact of support for students like this, then the government cannot ignore us and will have to increase funding!”
Deputy President, Bethany Hayes added, “Mental wellbeing, especially from low income backgrounds is so important to student achievement and these events are incredibly helpful”
Steve Wright & Routes Puppets are a UK based theatre in education and Performance Company. They create innovative projects that engage and inspire young people. They present on a range of issues including Equality & Diversity, Prevent and British Values.
Steve said, “This is my first visit to The Henley College, it was absolutely packed and there was a real sense of anticipation. The students were really focused and were generous with their praise, which produced a really nice atmosphere. The same issues affect teenagers everywhere, regardless of background, from social media pressure to worrying about their grades and their future. It’s really gratifying to see what an impact the sessions had on them.”
Satwant Deol, Principal and Chief Executive of The Henley College said, “I would like to thank the Henley Educational Trust for giving us this funding to support our wellbeing and mental health programme. We are already seeing a positive impact from initiatives like Otis the Dog, Routes Puppets, Yoga sessions, mental health first aid and healthy eating. Our students, teachers and governors are really appreciative.”
An enormous thank you to the Henley Educational Trust, who helped to make this possible!
