School Arts Project

LIFEbeat is engaged in a mission to put the heart back into education, to create inclusive, engaged happy school communities and to optimise outcomes and opportunities for all students. Improved mental health and wellbeing contribute to improved educational engagement and achievement.

Based on previous work in Somerset schools, in 2022 we were commissioned by Somerset County Council to deliver a LIFEbeat School Arts programme. The aim of this programme was to embed a whole-school approach to wellbeing, using creativity and arts to empower the voices and self-expression of children and young people. We partnered with 14 schools across Mendip and South Somerset to deliver the Somerset School Arts Project, across all key stages and trained a network of local artists and creative practitioners in the LIFEbeat creative wellbeing approach. Linked to the Somerset Wellbeing Framework, the project also supported schools in setting up their own student wellbeing action groups to embed the three wellbeing pillars; friendships & relationships, community & belonging, self-care & healthy lifestyles.

In total, we worked with over 1,230 children and young people in participating schools, all of whom have been identified as struggling with wellbeing and school engagement. Recruiting a team of 23 Creative Facilitators (including writers, poets, musicians, theatre practitioners, and craftspeople), schools were offered programmes where children of all 3 key stages participated in a series of creative workshops. In addition, over 17 teachers were trained in a whole school approach to wellbeing and in LIFEbeat creative practice across the schools. We are evaluating this programme with a view to codifying the model and replicating it in new regions.

The project evaluation included feedback from students, facilitators and teachers; below are some key outcomes of the project across all participating schools:

• Participating schools gave a rating of 4 out of 5 on average when asked if the project had given them new ideas on how to better embed creativity and wellbeing themes into their school culture.
• 13 out of 14 schools signed up to the Somerset wellbeing Framework, and 10 out of 14 set up their own Student Wellbeing Action group.
• Students had the opportunity to engage in creative activities they may never have tried before.
• Students were given the opportunity, space and support to think about how they feel in themselves, their friendships and relationships and their community. This in turn allowed a space for them to express how the pandemic and the aftermath of the pandemic has affected them.
• Students worked together in mixed age groups, forming new friendships and memories of a shared creative experience.
• Teachers had the opportunity to learn new ways of exploring key areas of the wellbeing framework and different ways to create a “safe space” for their students.

“The students all were enabled to be fully involved and worked together really well. The relationship between the providers of the training and the students was quickly established and all were made to feel comfortable. None of the students opted out of any of the tasks. Great day!”

Catherine Gray, Student Wellbeing Coordinator & ELSA at St Dunstans Secondary school