Brilliant ME! – Background and Context

Brilliant ME! started life as a resource to use alongside the Lemonade Project resources. Lemonade was originally developed to support teenagers struggling with their wellbeing. Much of the project approach (and resources) can work in KS2 but we felt that the brilliant Life and Lemons Journal was less appropriate. We set out to create a primary journal that could compliment Lemonade in primary schools.

As the project developed, we have taken the opportunity to give it a life beyond Lemonade and to contribute to:

• ‘A Brilliant Place’ – the council’s key strategic priority for C&YP
• The Belonging Framework for schools
• 'Psychoeducation' in the classroom as part of PSHE
• A whole school, trauma informed, relational approach to wellbeing, that is ‘everybody’s business’.

To align with ‘A Brilliant Place’ and Belonging, ‘Brilliant ME!’ has a distinctly Cornish flavour and a sea related theme.

Brilliant ME! and PSHE (Mental Wellbeing)

By the end of primary school pupils should know:

• that mental wellbeing is a normal part of daily life, in the same way as physical health.
• that there is a normal range of emotions (e.g. happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, nervousness) and scale of emotions that all humans experience in relation to different experiences and situations.
• how to recognise and talk about their emotions, including having a varied vocabulary of words to use when talking about their own and others’ feelings.
• how to judge whether what they are feeling and how they are behaving is appropriate and proportionate.
• the benefits of physical exercise, time outdoors, community participation, voluntary and service-based activity on mental wellbeing and happiness.
• simple self-care techniques, including the importance of rest, time spent with friends and family and the benefits of hobbies and interests.
• isolation and loneliness can affect children and that it is very important for children to discuss their feelings with an adult and seek support.
• that bullying (including cyberbullying) has a negative and often lasting impact on mental wellbeing.
• where and how to seek support (including recognising the triggers for seeking support), including whom in school they should speak to if they are worried about their own or someone else’s mental wellbeing or ability to control their emotions (including issues arising online).
• it is common for people to experience mental ill health. For many people who do, the problems can be resolved if the right support is made available, especially if accessed early enough.

DfE PSHE Guidance last updated 2021

(and don't forget that All Cornwall Schools have FREE access to the Brook online PHSE platform with curriculum resources / training / guidance and more... You can find the enrolment key on the PSHE page of the Services for Schools website (log in required). or contact us to request the details)

Brilliant ME! - Links

Threaded throughout Brilliant ME! are 'Resilient Moves' from the Boingboing Resilience Framework, Protective Behaviours and 5 Ways to Wellbeing. 

Download Brilliant ME! links mapping (pdf)

Request copies of My Brilliant Place to be ME!