We all know that for children to thrive, to reach their full potential, and be the best they can be, they need to feel secure, safe and happy – therefore we need to prioritise this before all else for maximum impact and achievement.  

As educators, we understand the profound impact that mental health and wellbeing can have on a child’s learning and development and the pivotal role schools and education settings can play in supporting and promoting this. By creating a supportive and nurturing environment, schools can empower their students to thrive both academically and emotionally. We also know that staff cannot ‘pour from an empty cup’ and therefore their mental health and wellbeing must be a priority too.

Understanding Mental Health and Wellbeing

Just as we have physical health, we also have mental health. It’s a spectrum, with daily fluctuations and more serious conditions. On one end, we experience everyday emotions like stress, anxiety, or mood swings, normal human experiences. On the other end of that spectrum, there are diagnosable mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder or PTSD.

Wellbeing, on the other hand, refers to our overall mental and emotional state. It encompasses our daily experiences, such as work-related stress, burnout or emotional challenges. While mental health conditions may be more severe or require professional treatment, wellbeing focuses on our everyday mental health and how we manage it. Many schools have begun to focus on student wellbeing, but all settings do need to take into consideration staff wellbeing as well, as it directly impacts their ability to support students effectively.

But what can schools actually do to support wellbeing and mental health in a meaningful and effective way?

1. Focus on Prevention

Schools play a vital role in fostering positive mental health among students. By creating a safe and inclusive environment where students feel valued and respected, schools can significantly enhance students’ wellbeing. If schools can get this right, the prevalence of mental health issues can be reduced and the impact on learning and wellbeing minimised.

The key to prevention is proactivity and a positive approach, this can be addressed through:

• Promoting kindness and empathy – this should be done through classroom activities and school-wide initiatives.
• Creating opportunities for students to connect – this can be through clubs, sports, and other activities, designed to bring students together and celebrate differences as well as similarities.
• Providing a variety of learning experiences and opportunities – these should cater to different learning styles and interests, ensuring all children can access the curriculum no matter their ability level, understanding or mental health. To best support staff in providing this, schools should include professional development opportunities for teachers and pastoral staff to enhance their skills and knowledge.
• Establishing clear expectations for behaviour – these need consistent enforcement but also fair differentiation for children with safeguarding or mental health issues, while also providing clear expectations and support for staff.
• Involve students and staff in decision-making processes – this can foster a sense of ownership, belonging and self-worth.
• Creating a welcoming and supportive school environment – Ensuring staff, students and parents have an awareness and understanding of different mental health conditions and by equipping students with resilience skills enables them to cope with stress, adversity, and challenges, promoting their overall mental and emotional wellbeing. It is also key to ensure this supportive environment is in place, so that staff feel valued, respected, and supported.

2. Prioritise early identification

Early identification of mental health issues is crucial for providing timely support and interventions. Schools can play one of the most important roles in this process by carefully observing students’ behaviour, mood, interactions with others and their academic performance and by creating a supportive culture where staff feel comfortable sharing concerns about their own wellbeing also. Changes in these areas, such as increased irritability, difficulty concentrating, withdrawal from social activities or changes in appetite or sleep patterns, may indicate underlying mental health concerns.

Schools can and should provide regular check-ins, both formal and informal, around both mental health and wellbeing for staff and students – as these can help identify emerging issues and provide opportunities for open communication. As by encouraging an open dialogue between students, staff and parents creates a safe space for sharing concerns and seeking support.

To effectively identify and support children’s mental health and wellbeing, teachers and school staff should ideally receive training in the following areas:

• Understanding different mental health conditions: Gaining knowledge about the most common or diagnosed conditions, such as anxiety, depression and PTSD.
• Recognising the signs and symptoms: Learning to identify early warning signs and symptoms of mental health issues and how these should be recorded and reported to enable timely action to be taken.
• Understanding the impact of trauma: Gaining an awareness of what this might look like in children and how they can adapt their approach to support children in a trauma-informed way.
• Active Listening: Developing effective listening skills to understand and respond to students’ concerns with empathy and compassion, whilst supporting their emotional resilience.

3. Early Intervention

Providing timely and appropriate support is essential when addressing mental health issues in the first instance, as by recognising the signs and symptoms of these quickly, teachers, senior leaders and support staff can intervene promptly, preventing issues from escalating.

Encouraging a culture where students and staff feel comfortable seeking help is crucial. This can be achieved by fostering open communication, reducing stigma and normalising mental health concerns.

If schools can create a supportive and understanding environment, where students are empowered to seek help when needed, it can:

• Allow for better support when challenges first develop.
• Help to prevent mental health issues from getting worse.
• Reduce the impact on life at home, at school and with friendships.
• And better support healthy development into adulthood.

There is not always a right answer when intervening around mental health and wellbeing, so school staff need to understand how to reflect, analyse and adapt strategies and interventions used. Staff should also be able to identify when they may need to reach out for further, more tailored or intensive support.

4.  Access to Specialist Support

Facilitating timely and appropriate referrals to external mental health services is crucial for students and staff who require specialised support. By working closely with local agencies, such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) or community mental health teams, schools can ensure that students and staff receive the necessary and appropriate care.

Coordinating care involves effective communication and collaboration between school staff, mental health professionals and parents to ensure a seamless transition between school-based and community-based services. This may include sharing information, developing joint care plans and providing ongoing support to students and families.

When accessing external or specialist support, schools should not just ‘refer on’ but continue advocating for students’ needs and rights, particularly for those children with complex or severe mental health conditions, as by doing this, schools can help ensure that students receive the support they need to succeed.

Summary

In conclusion, by prioritising both student and staff mental health and wellbeing, schools can create a supportive culture and environment that empowers everyone to thrive.

Implementing evidence-based strategies such as fostering positive school climates, training staff, early intervention, parental collaboration and accessing external support can significantly improve student outcomes, meaning they can achieve both emotionally and academically – which is all we can ask for as educators.

By working together, schools can create a culture where mental health is valued and where all students and staff feel safe, supported, and able to reach their full potential.

If you require support, staff training or would like to attend one of our wellbeing related courses, please contact us on hello@servicesforeducation.co.uk or visit the mental health and wellbeing pages on our website at Mental Health and Wellbeing – Services For Education.

About The Author

Lucie Welch – Adviser, Services For Education

Lucie Welch has worked in the field of Primary Education for the last 15 years, holding the positions of Assistant Head of School, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Attendance Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. Through working across several local authorities and within multi-academy trusts, Lucie has garnered a passion for safeguarding and supporting children and young people to enable them to thrive.

At Services For Education, Lucie is an integral part of the Safeguarding team, sharing her expertise with schools, colleges, trusts, and other educational settings across the city of Birmingham and beyond. Dedicated to improving safeguarding practices in an actionable and impactful way, Lucie works closely with settings to provide bespoke training, supports with reflection on their own practices during Safeguarding audits and always strives to contribute to a better learning environment for all children. Through delivery of statutory training for DSLs and Safer Recruitment, Lucie works with colleagues in all age ranges and is a source of expertise within these areas.

Lucie also wears other important hats within the School Support Team. Not only is she dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of students through her role in safeguarding, but she also plays a key part in the PSHE/RSE and Health for Life teams. Additionally, Lucie partners with the Best Practice Network to deliver the Early Career Framework, supporting new teachers in their professional development.