Suicide: How to support during crisis moments Supporting someone – a student or colleague – who is suicidal may feel daunting, but you can make a difference with some small actions. Dr Pooky Knightsmith explains
Five ways schools can commit to good staff mental health As mental health awareness increases in the wake of the pandemic, Sophie Howells looks at five areas of school life where we can make our commitment to wellbeing evident for all staff
Taking a step back from burn-out... Burn-out is not inevitable. As a school leader, how do you take care of yourself? Frances Robertson urges you to avoid burn-out by making time to reflect and step back from the chaos...
Mental health, safeguarding & child protection: Three key considerations The links between safeguarding, child protection and mental health are extensive, multi-layered, and complex – what should we be doing to keep children safe? Elizabeth Rose advises
A six-step guide for new mental health leads The emerging role of designated or senior mental health lead in schools has become even more vital in light of the impact of the pandemic. Wellbeing expert Kelly Hannaghan discusses effective practice for those taking on this new position and six steps for success
The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: He said yes! This year, childhood trauma expert Shahana Knight is working with a primary school to transform one of its year 3 classrooms into the ultimate therapeutic classroom. This monthly diary will chronicle the project, the ups and downs, and the lessons learned
Five priorities for your safeguarding checklist It is the start of an intense year for everyone working in schools, especially designated safeguarding leads. Hannah Glossop details her priorities to help DSLs be fully prepared for the months ahead
Safeguarding & KCSIE: What’s changed and what should we do about it? Every September the statutory safeguarding guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education is updated. Expert Elizabeth Rose looks at the key updates this year and the implications for those working in schools
Effective in-school SEMH and counselling support The pandemic has brought pastoral and social, emotional and mental health support to the fore. Sarah May discusses her role as an SEMH support worker across a primary and secondary setting
Pupils’ anxieties: Name it to tame it Headteacher Ben Travitzky on why a ‘name it to tame it’ approach is helping to support children’s wellbeing at his school
The 5Ps of staff wellbeing Ahead of her session at our forthcoming Pupil Mental Health online conference, Frederika Roberts explores the five Ps of staff wellbeing and why staff wellbeing is at the heart of whole-school wellbeing
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
