The Premier League has launched new mental health resources for children focused on how they can build their self-esteem.
The Building Self Esteem resource is available to more than 19,000 primary schools across England and Wales through the League’s primary school education programme, Premier League Primary Stars.
Available for Children’s Mental Health Week, the free resource contains activities and content that encourage young people to build their resilience, try new things and use positive self-talk. Alongside input from teachers and mental health experts, it features advice from 10 current Premier League players as well as former England football internationals Theo Walcott and Jill Scott MBE.
The self-esteem resource launch comes as the Premier League celebrates ‘More Than A Game’, a two-week period showcasing the League’s world-leading investment into all levels of football and community programmes run by clubsthat positively impact millions of people.
To help launch the resource, Walcott attended a Premier League Primary Stars session run by his former club Arsenal. There, he surprised schoolchildren, sharing his experiences with them and supporting them during their lesson.
He said: “I was delighted to support the launch of this new Premier League Primary Stars education resource and share some of my own story. Football is a brilliant way of connecting with people, so I know the children the League and clubs reach with their range of community programmes will take these lessons forward.
“Having spent most of my career in the Premier League, seeing the connection between the on-pitch competition and the support it enables for people throughout the country is inspiring.”
Engaging 1.3 million children in 2023/24 alone, Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of football to help young people be active and develop essential life skills. There are almost 30 free resource packs for schools centred around wellbeing topics, which have been downloaded more than 75,000 times.
Walcott helped to launch the Premier League Primary Stars education programme in 2017. Now, with 87 per cent of all schools in England and Wales engaged, more than 70,000 teachers benefit from its free resources.
Premier League Primary Stars provides teachers with free downloadable resources across a range of curriculum subjects at Key Stage 1 (age 5-7) and Key Stage 2 (age 7-11), developed by teachers for teachers, and in collaboration with experts such as the National Literacy Trust and the PSHE Association.
Currently 103 professional football club charities from across the leagues receive Premier League funding to deliver Premier League Primary Stars sessions within local schools.
With £1.6 billion committed to support communities and football at all levels between 2022-2025, the League has invested £75 million into primary school sport via the Premier League Charitable Fund since 2013.
To sign up for the free resource, or to find out more about Premier League Primary Stars, please visit plprimarystars.com
