Mental Health

At Ormiston Denes Academy, we strive to ensure all students are supported so that they are able to achieve their full potential. At our disposal, we have a highly experienced and effective pastoral team, with a broad range of specialist knowledge and understanding. This student-centered integrated team includes:

House Teams – Heads of House and Pastoral Support Officers
Safeguarding Officer
School Counsellor
Pathways Manager and Pathways Mentor
Disabilities and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (DSENCo)
School Nurse

Please see below for guidance on;

Supporting Students Facing Mental Health Issues

Useful Links:

http://www.minded.org.uk

http://www.crude.org.uk/for-schools/bereavement-policy

http://www.mind.org.uk

http://www.youngminds.org.uk

http://www.b-eat.co.uk/about-eating-disorders

http://www.papyrus-uk.org

http://www.nshn.co.uk

http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk

http://www.selfharm.co.uk

http://hopeagain.org.uk

http://www.cruse.org.uk/children

http://www.cruse.org.uk/for-schools/impact-of-bereavement

http://www.youngminds.org.uk/find-help/your-guide-to-support/guide-to-camhs

Mental Health First Aiders

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an educational course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help a person who may be developing a mental health issue. In the same way as we learn physical first aid, mental health first aid teaches how to recognise those crucial warning signs of mental ill health.

The MHFA course is an internationally recognised course designed specifically for those people that teach, work, live with or care for young people aged 8 to 18 years.

The course includes:

Spotting the early signs of a mental health problem.
Raising confidence in helping someone experiencing a problem.
Providing help on a first aid basis.
Helping to prevent someone from hurting themselves or others.
Helping to stop a mental illness from getting worse.
Helping someone recover faster.
Guidance towards the right support.
How to reduce the stigma of mental health problems.

Three members of staff completed the MHFA course in 2015:

Mrs M Read
Mrs A Palmer
Ms A Gee

Latest News

We are delighted to be a movie location for the forthcoming Danny Boyle/Richard Curtis movie Yesterday. Over 60 members of staff and students were featured in the filming, with our classroom locations and students already spotted in the trailer! We look forward to the movie’s worldwide release on Friday June 28th 2019. Watch the trailer […]

Thursday 2nd May sees the return of Ormiston Denes Academy’s STEM Spectacular featuring Marty Jopson, the BBC One Show’s resident science expert, and new for 2019 – Astronomy Planetarium System Dome. Tickets are FREE, but spaces are limited, so book now! Visit our STEM Spectacular 2019 page for more details.

11th January 2019

Ormiston Denes Academy students and staff visited the offices of Accenture in London recently and were given “a real insight” into what it would be like working at a leading management consulting firm during a special visit. With 31 Year 10 students from the Lowestoft high school greeted by employees from the global management consulting […]

1st December 2018

Festive fever has spread across Lowestoft as residents got into the Christmas spirit at the town’s switch-on on Saturday afternoon. Not even the weather or a temporary tree light failure could put a damper on the festivities which culminated in the big Christmas lights switch-on. The lights in the town centre were switched on by […]

12th November 2018

A clifftop ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ending of the First World War attracted a fine turnout as a “very moving” community event was held. An estimated crowd of more than 500 people turned out on Pakefield Cliffs on Sunday, November 11. Those present saw the beacon lit as the bells tolled to […]

7th November 2018

Interactive workshops have helped to inspire the “next generation of engineers and scientists.” A “hands-on science roadshow” has rolled into Lowestoft as a series of wind power and engineering workshops take centre stage. Using coding to make traffic lights turn green, assembling an arch bridge, looking at how energy is generated and hearing about what […]

23rd October 2018

A popular exhibition was hailed as a “roaring success” as record numbers descended on Lowestoft. The fifth annual Lowestoft model engineering and model making exhibition was held at Ormiston Denes Academy over the weekend, with a diverse range of exhibits inspiring people of all ages. The exhibition, organised by the Halesworth & District Model Engineering […]

7th October 2018

An academy trust which educates thousands of children across the region has secured a £2m funding boost to develop social action projects. Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT) will receive the money through the #iwill Fund to ensure pupils engage in meaningful youth social action and develop social, emotional and life skills. The trust has numerous academies […]

5th September 2018

An education charity which supports school governors is launching a new campaign in Suffolk to encourage more people to take up the role. The Governor Stories campaign is being launched at Quay Place in Ipswich on October 9 by charity Governors for Schools, with the aim of inspiring people to consider joining their local school’s […]

23rd August 2018

It was another day of celebration for young people who found out the results of the toughest exams of their school careers so far. Students across Lowestoft and Southwold were greeted with good news as schools continued their upward progress despite fears that exam grade changes would prove a setback. At Ormiston Denes Academy it […]

7th August 2018

Ormiston Denes Academy was celebrating this week after being honoured with a national Quality in Careers award, recognising the outstanding careers advice it provides to its students. Credited by Prospects, the academy has achieved the highest, Gold-level accreditation, which is part of the Quality in Careers Standard award programme. The standard is awarded to schools […]

In May students in Year 10 visited the International Aviation Academy in Norwich. They climbed aboard a full-size Boeing 737-300 operational aeroplane and were later challenged to identify different parts of an aeroplane’s fuselage. They learnt that they can start training at 16 and progress to employment or the BSc (Hons) Professional Aviation Engineering Practice […]