Let’s Be Real
Mental Health for Young Minds
Childhood and adolescence are tougher than ever.
A mental health crisis is gripping our youth. Social media, identity struggles, and disconnection have left many young people without the tools to thrive, and many adults without the tools to help. We believe it doesn't have to be that way.
OUR APPROACH
Mental Health Literacy lives in the overlap.
It's not something you teach to one group. It becomes real when students, educators, and parents share the same language.
A student who has the words to name what they're feeling, but goes home to parents who don't, is still alone. A teacher trained to spot early signs, in a school where those signs aren't discussed openly, is still working in silence.
Everything we do exists to put that shared language into the space where students, educators, and parents meet.
Two programmes.
One shared language.
A school that has worked with us has a common vocabulary for mental health that runs from the classroom to the kitchen table, staff who can hold the first conversation, and parents who feel equipped rather than sidelined. One programme builds that shared understanding. The other trains the adults who respond when a young person is struggling.
Programme One
Mental Health Literacy
Shared language for your whole community.
Six workshops that build understanding, confidence, and a shared vocabulary for mental health across your school community. Delivered in classrooms, staffrooms, and parent sessions, with content adapted for each audience. Schools can run the full programme or combine modules to match their own priorities.
Six modules. 90-minute workshops, parallel but different for students, staff, and parents.
Student content comes in four stage bands
Your Growing Brain
How the brain develops, and why feelings and decisions shift as it does.
Identity & Belonging
Who am I, and how do I fit into a community that isn't always mine?
Healthy Relationships
What makes relationships feel good or go wrong, and how to look after yourself in them.
Social Media & Self-Worth
How scrolling shapes self-esteem, and how to stay grounded in it.
Taking Care of You
Practical strategies for handling stress, setbacks, and hard days.
Understanding Mental Health
Naming what we've been talking about, and how to recognise when something more is going on.
Programme Two
Mental Health First Response
Practical skills to act when it matters.
A purpose-built response training for the adults around young people in international schools. Delivered by qualified trainers, structured in three tiers so the depth of training matches the depth of the role. From a parent noticing shifts in their own child, to a school leader holding the systems that let mental health support actually stick.
Three tiers. Matched to how international school life actually works.
Notice. Hold. Lead.Notice
For parents who want to recognise what their child might be experiencing, and hold the conversation when it matters. Practical skills, honest framing, no jargon.
Hold
For classroom teachers on the front line of student wellbeing. Builds confidence to spot early signs, stay present in a supportive conversation, and connect a young person to further help.
Lead
For heads of pastoral care, deputy heads, and school leaders. Goes beyond first response into the systems, policies, and whole-school conditions that let mental health support take root.
HOW IT WORKS
Shaped around your school, not the other way round.
Every school runs differently. Different timetables, different calendars, different cultures around parent engagement, different staff development rhythms. Our job is to fit the work into your operational reality, not ask you to bend around ours.
What we bring
A fixed backbone.
- Six literacy modules, developed for international school communities
- A three-tier First Response training model for the adults
- Qualified trainers with classroom and leadership backgrounds
- Facilitation materials for students, staff, and parents
- A co-design conversation before any delivery starts
What your school shapes
Everything operational.
- Which modules you prioritise, and in which order
- Which audiences engage, and how deeply
- How sessions are delivered: classrooms, INSETs, evenings, off-timetable
- Whether the work happens across a term, a year, or several
- How it integrates with your existing pastoral and wellbeing curriculum
One exception
First Response has a fixed shape.
The depth of training is matched to the role, and the durations reflect what's needed to reach certification at each tier. This is the one part of the work we don't flex, because a half-trained responder is worse than an untrained one.
What schools are saying
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ISF - International School Frankfurt, Germany
Let's Be Real have helped ISF equip our staff with a shared language, skillset, and strategies through ‘Mental Health First Aid for Youth’, while supporting the development of wellbeing practices woven into the DNA of our school. This work is central to ISF and SABIS® globally, preparing students academically and holistically for success in today’s world. Nick and Jacqueline are a pleasure to work with – professional, collaborative, and insightful.
David Harrison, School Director -
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Internationalla Engelska Skolan Hässelby Strand, Stockholm, Sweden
The Mental Health First Aider Course (Level 3) with Nick and the Let’s Be Real team was phenomenal. The content broadened my perspective on mental health and gave me the confidence to better support both staff and students. Nick’s delivery was passionate, authentic, and deeply empathetic. He created a safe space for open and honest conversations. I left feeling inspired, empowered, and truly equipped to make a difference. Thank you for the incredible work you do!
Michael Blunn, Head of Pastoral Care -
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Internationalla Engelska Skolan Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
The two-day Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course with Let’s Be Real, led by Nick, provided an incredibly valuable experience. The MHFA training fits seamlessly into the framework that IES Solna is already implementing through our PMKB (Plan mot kränkande behandling och diskriminering) measures, including the FRIENDS and Det Syns Inte programs.
Nick’s engaging approach made important topics easy to understand and directly relevant to the school. The course provided useful tools and insights to help build a more supportive community for both students and staff, inspiring greater awareness and confidence in addressing mental health with care and empathy.
Hannah Southwood, Head of Year & Classroom Teacher
