What’s on our mind can be the hardest subject. So, what’s on yours?
A different kind of homework
Mental Health has declined in almost 40% of school children (NHS Survey). That’s why Britain Get Talking is setting the nation a different kind of homework. It’s designed to help ease our stress and reduce our anxiety by asking what's on our minds. Take part in our national homework exercise by having a chat tonight.
You don’t need a pen or paper, but if you’re unsure where to start, download our task and try writing or drawing your worries on the front cover.
Download printable task[Voices overlap from news reports. The text on screen reads ‘Mental health has declined in almost 40% of school children.’ The screen changes to show children playing outside.
The text on screen shows news headlines that read ‘Children stressed and self-harming over UK cost of living crisis, The Guardian’ and ‘Child mental health referrals top a million in post-lockdown crisis, The Telegraph’
The screen changes to show a seaside town. Seagulls are heard in the background. The text on screen reads ‘Tuesday 10th October, World Mental Health Day.’
The screen changes to show a school. Children are running and playing outside. A girl closes her locker.
In the background we hear Ant and Dec say “Hello everyone! Ant and Dec here”. In classrooms and an assembly hall, groups of children are watching Ant and Dec’s assembly video.]
Dec: The world can be a bit of a scary place right now, can’t it? And you might feel anxious about it. But when we share more, we can ease our stress and reduce our anxiety.
[Ant and Dec hold up a coloured school jotter. On the front page, there is an image of a speech bubble with lines.]
Ant: So, this is a different kind of homework. It’s designed to get us all talking.
[The text on screen reads ‘We’re partnering with schools all over the country to set a different kind of homework. Created with a psychologist and the teaching community.]
Dec: Why don’t you start by writing or drawing your fears or your feelings in here?
[On screen Ant and Dec both gesture to the speech bubble on the front of the jotter. In their classrooms, children are writing on coloured school jotters.
The screen shows a montage of school jotters, each filled in with worries. The text reads ‘The cost of living, deforestation, I am worried about my schedule because I usually never know which parent I’m going to be with, I won’t have no friends, inflation, me being lonely at play, my future.’]
Girl: It helps us be more aware of what’s going on inside our head.
Girl: It can help normalise talking about mental health.
[We see children talking and doing the homework task in school and at home.]
Boy: You never know that other people might have worries that they want to share.
Teacher: It’s easily accessible. The children do it at home as well.
Teacher: It removes that taboo and that stigma with mental health.
Dame Rachel de Souza: It raises awareness of the issue and how to make things better.
[Ant and Dec’s assembly video continues to play. Children pack their bags with the homework task.]
Ant: And you can do it anytime you like, but over at ITV, we’ll be doing this all together this World Mental Health Day, which is Tuesday 10th October.
[The text on screen reads, ‘What’s on our minds can be the hardest subject.]
Teacher: Who’s going to have a go at doing this homework?
[The children in class all raise their hands.]
Teacher: Lovely! Super excellent.
[We then see a table with a school jotter, on the front is a text box in the shape of a speech bubble. Next to the jotter is a hand twirling a pen. The text reads ‘Tonight, let’s all do our homework.’ Britain Get Talking, supported by Mind, YoungMinds and SAMH. ITV logo]
Read video transcript Download audio described Ad
[A young girl looks up at the camera. Throughout the video, a group of children are in different locations. The speakers change at the end of each sentence. ]
- Mum
- Dad
- Gran
- Uncle Alistair
- Listen up.
[A boy bangs on a drum kit]
[A girl walks down a school hallway]
- We need to talk about our mental health.
[A girl sits in a stairwell, looking up at the camera whilst on her phone]
- Have you seen the news lately?’
[One girl sits by an outside sports area and signs]
Subtitle reads: It’s scary!
[A girl leans against a railing]
- The cost of living
[A girl turns around in her seat during an assembly]
- The climate
- Crisis after crisis
[One girl sits by an outside sports area and signs]
Subtitle reads: I know you are trying to protect us.
[A boy looks at his reflection in the bathroom mirror]
- By not talking to us about these things.
[Outside a breakfast cafe, a group of school children are eating food.]
- But the truth is, we’re already talking about them.
[Children talk and eat in a lunch hall. Others are working in an art room.]
- Here
- Here
[In a classroom during a lesson, a girl turns to the camera]
- And here
Teacher: Ahem!
[The girl looks sheepish]
- Sorry, Miss
[In a science class, a girl wears protective goggles whilst using a bunsen burner]
- Nevermind maths or chemistry.
[Outside during PE, a teacher points at students.]
Teacher: John, Team B
[One boy has his shoulder nudged as another walks past him. He looks annoyed]
- Or PE
[In an empty room a young girl stands alone against a wall]
- What’s on our mind can be the hardest subject. So ask us what’s on ours.
[A girl leans against a railing]
- A proper chat can ease our stress
- And reduce our anxiety
[A boy in a crowded playground]
- So what are you waiting for?
[In a school gym, a boy stands alone in the centre of a playing court as other children run to him bouncing basketballs.]
- Come on, Britain!
[A little girl at her school desk]
- Get talking
The scene changes to the view from a classroom window, a statistic appears on screen which reads ‘Mental Health has declined in almost 40% of schoolchildren.’
The text on screen reads ‘Britain Get Talking. For more information itv.com/BritainGetTaking. Supported by Mind and YoungMinds.’
In-school Resources
To help get your pupils talking, we've created a homework task and a video from Ant & Dec to play in assemblies. Dr Lucy Maddox, a clinical psychologist, has also shared some practical worksheets to make it easier for young people to open up.
Download Ant & Dec assembly videoAnt & Dec assembly video with British Sign Language
Ant and Dec Assembly video
[Ant and Dec are standing side by side. They are both in suits facing towards the audience. They are against a bright yellow background with the ITV logo in the top corner.]
[Ant and Dec wave to the camera smiling.]
Ant: Hello, everyone
Dec: Hello!
Ant: Ant & Dec here. Now, settle down.
Dec: Settle down.
Dec: (shouting) AT THE BACK, SETTLE DOWN!
[Ant looks slightly shocked as he looks at Dec then back to the camera.]
Dec: There we go, that's better.
[Dec smiles broadly.]
Ant: Wow. Loud, aren’t you?
[Dec looks pleased.]
Dec: I know.
[Dec continues to smile in the background as Ant talks.]
Ant: Now, we're here today with ITV to announce something very special.
Dec: Ooh, special!
Ant: And that something special – homework.
[Dec looks confused as Ant smiles.]
Dec: Ah, I thought you said it was going to be special.
[Ant turns to Dec.]
Ant: No, hang on, hear me out here. It's not what you think.
[Ant turns back to face forward.]
Ant: With this homework, you don't need a calculator and nobody's even marking it. All it involves is talking. And the best thing is, adults have to do this homework, too.
Dec: Oh, I like it. Tell me more.
Ant: Well, it's all about the hardest subject. And that subject isn't maths. It isn't chemistry. It's what's on our minds.
Dec: Yes. You see, the world can be a bit of a scary place right now, can't it? And you might feel anxious about it. In fact, mental health has declined in almost 40% of school children, but when we share more, we can ease our stress and reduce our anxiety.
[Ant and Dec hold up a coloured school jotter. On the front page, there is an image of a speech bubble with lines.]
Ant: So, this is a different kind of homework. It's designed to get us all talking.
Dec: Now, of course, we know that is easier said than done. So, why don't you start by writing or drawing your fears or your feelings in here?
[Ant and Dec both gesture to the speech bubble on the front of the jotter.]
Dec: Then you can share them with a parent or a carer or an adult that you trust – and just talk about it.
Ant: You might be worried about something you saw on the news or overheard someone talking about or something that's happened to your friends.
Dec: Or it might be something else entirely. Whatever it is, there are no wrong answers.
Ant: And you can do it any time you like.
Dec: Just ask your teacher for more information or visit ITV.com/BritainGetTalking if you want to find out more.
Ant: Thanks for listening, everybody.
Dec: Now, come on, Britain.
Both Ant and Dec: Do your homework and get talking!
[On the screen, the text reads ‘Britain Get Talking, supported by Mind and YoungMinds. For more information itv.com/BritainGetTalking]
Top tips for having difficult conversations.
Try having the conversation whilst doing another activity for example the washing up.
Start the conversation with open-ended questions like "What’s on your mind?”
Actively listen and leave room for them to speak. You don’t need to fix all their problems immediately.
Sometimes it helps to share personal stories or experiences to help put them at ease.
If they don’t want to talk, reassure them that the door is always open when they’re ready.
Topics that might come up
As parents, we don’t always have the answers. Here is an alphabetical list of handy guides from our charity partners to help you navigate some of these trickier conversations.
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