Mental Health Talk Inspires

As part of the Spring Term INSET Day for staff, Dick Moore visited the College to talk about Adolescent Mental Health. Dick had previously worked as a teacher, rugby coach and housemaster before completing over twenty years as a headmaster. He gave a moving and personal account of how family circumstances led him to develop a passionate interest in adolescent development and emotional wellbeing; he now spends his time visiting schools and organisations to raise awareness of mental health issues.

With Dick's light sense of humour, staff laughed and cried as they listened to and embraced this delicate topic. They received a hard-hitting and thought-provoking two-hour talk, covering the different types of mental health issues that young people are dealing with; understanding how the brain's limbic system develops and affects emotions and behaviour during puberty; and learning about what schools can do to help equip pupils with strategies and the resilience to cope during these complex years, as well as 'trigger' events which may take place at any point during one's lifetime. Dick drew on his experience from working in schools and being a parent to four boys, as well as using diagrams and videos to further illustrate his points, including 'Black Dog Depression', available to view below. 

Dick was an engaging speaker who courageously delivered an informative and powerful session, bringing home to all the staff how prevalent mental health issues are among all young people and yet how it remains a largely hidden epidemic. The College is extremely grateful to Dick and his wife for visiting us.