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Mental health

Poor mental health is increasingly seen as one of the biggest barriers to learning and education and with more than half of adult mental health conditions starting during childhood it is now a priority for education. We offer a range of best practice articles and case studies about how schools can support pupils' mental health.

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Senior Mental Health Lead: How to have an impact

If you are new to the role of mental health lead, or you would like to make sure that your role really makes a difference next year, Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers a few simple ideas to help you to maximise your impact

Wellbeing in schools: Common questions from parents

The Schools Wellbeing Partnership works with parents to help them choose a school based on their record on mental health. Parent champion Michelle West considers some of the common questions that schools can expect from parents

Ten ideas to boost your school staff’s wellbeing

Wellbeing is high on our agendas right now. With the summer fast approaching, we asked Julie Norman to give us 10 areas we might prioritise from September in order to ensure good staff wellbeing

Emotionally based school avoidance: How can we respond?

Emotionally based school avoidance occurs when a student feels genuinely unable to attend school because of stress or other wellbeing barriers. How should we respond? Darren Martindale advises

Designated mental health leads: What should this new role look like?

The government wants every school to have a designated mental health lead in place by 2025 and has announced funding to support training from next year. In light of the pandemic, many schools will want to act sooner. Sam Preston looks at the attributes of this key role

Working with parents/carers to support a struggling child

How can and should we work with parents and carers when a child is struggling? Mental health expert Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers some tips, strategies and advice

Behaviour and bias: Where are your blind-spots?

When it comes to behaviour, do you treat different pupils differently? Do you look for underlying needs? What biases do you have and how do they affect your responses to poor behaviour? Adele Bates discusses and advises

Staff wellbeing: Five resilience hacks

Protecting the wellbeing of our education workforce is crucial during the pandemic. Martina Witter offers five resilience hacks for teaching staff to help support wellbeing during these times of change and uncertainty

Blended learning: Creating an effective culture of virtual safeguarding

Schools are fully re-open but with self-isolation requirements still in place, remote and blended learning is set to continue for the foreseeable future. Elizabeth Rose considers how we can ensure an effective culture of virtual safeguarding in this new blended world of education

Safeguarding: Managing disclosures following lockdown

As schools re-open to all pupils, staff will be on the look-out for a range of safeguarding issues. Elizabeth Rose looks at how we must handle disclosures in the weeks ahead

Vulnerable pupils: 14 things to consider in your post-lockdown Pupil Premium plans

How will you ensure that Pupil Premium and other vulnerable pupils get the support they need as schools re-open to all pupils? With an eye on Ofsted expectations and requirements, Helen Frostick advises, including on planning for the summer term

Full school re-opening: Supporting SEND pupils

As schools re-open to all students, those with SEND may well need more support. Stephanie Glenister outlines how we can help pupils – both those who have been attending school during lockdown and those who have been at home – to transition back into ‘normal’ school life

Vigilance is key: Five things for safeguarding leads to consider

Safeguarding and pastoral leads will be on high alert as all pupils return to school, playing a key role in supporting colleagues to be vigilant and watch for the signs of distress. Hannah Glossop offers five pieces of advice

Safeguarding priorities: Preparing for full re-opening on March 8

With schools due to re-open fully from March 8, safeguarding issues will be foremost in our minds and our preparations must begin now. Expert Elizabeth Rose advises on what our priorities and approaches should look like

Mental health: Classroom ideas to help pupils develop self-expression and self-regulation

Helping children learn how to express themselves is crucial for developing self-regulation, coping strategies, and good mental health. Shahana Knight looks at how we can encourage these habits during our daily teaching routines

Introducing dogs safely into the primary school

Animals have long been used in primary schools – especially dogs. Dr Helen Lewis and Dr Russell Grigg, authors of Tails from the Classroom, take a practical look at how dogs can be used in primary schools and offer six steps for their safe introduction

Ideas for working with hard-to-reach families

Every school will have some families with which it is difficult to engage, and often these are the families of our more vulnerable learners. Dr Pooky Knightsmith looks at why this might be and offers some practical ideas

Staff wellbeing: Are you looking out for your colleagues?

With more and more teachers experiencing symptoms related to depression and anxiety amid the pressure of the pandemic, Sophie Howells looks at how we can approach conversations with colleagues who may be struggling

Traumatic news: Five ideas to help children cope with the pandemic

The pandemic and the 24/7 news and media coverage has the potential to be traumatic for children, especially those of primary school age. Lianna Champ, an expert in grief and trauma counselling, offers five ways to help children cope

Lockdown: Five ideas for maintaining your team’s morale

Many of us are finding the third national lockdown much tougher than those that have gone before. Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers five simple ideas that will help us to maintain the morale and wellbeing of our colleagues and school teams

Lockdown: Ideas to boost children’s wellbeing during Covid

As we face-up to another national lockdown, pupil wellbeing will once again come to the fore. Shahana Knight offers some ideas and advice for primary schools

Lockdown: How are you ‘holding in mind’ your pupils?

The benefit of “holding in mind” our children and families during these difficult times are numerous. Angela Greenwood looks at what this might mean for your primary school

Looked after and fragile: How schools can support children in care

The barriers faced by children in care, or looked after children, are manifold and well-documented, perhaps more so now than ever before. How can we help these students to face and overcome these challenges? Virtual school headteacher Darren Martindale advises

Boost your wellbeing: Five simple steps for school staff

The pandemic continues to take a heavy toll on the wellbeing and resilience of school staff. Dr Pooky Knightsmith explains five simple steps to boost your wellbeing when things feel hard

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Behaviour: Connection not disconnection

Continuing her regular look at therapeutic teaching approaches, Shahana Knight discusses why traditional methods of behaviour management, based on disconnection and rejection, will not yield lasting results. She looks at some alternative approaches which help pupils to manage their difficult ...

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