Mental health and wellbeing in schools

Information for schools and colleges

DfE guidance 

Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges is a DfE publication offering information on:

Whole class interventions for pupils in years 7, 8 and 9

There is the opportunity for schools to take part in a new DfE funded education for wellbeing research programme to implement and evaluate a range of mental health interventions for pupils in years 7, 8 and 9. This is a valuable opportunity to introduce whole-class mental health and wellbeing interventions with support from leading experts in child mental health. Potential benefits to taking part include:

  • the chance to receive free mental health and wellbeing training for selected school staff
  • £1,000 remuneration in recognition of administrative commitments
  • an evaluation feedback report for your school
  • contributing to the wider evidence base on what works for school-based mental health support and how it can best be delivered
  • a letter of thanks from the Department for Education acknowledging your school’s important role in this project

To find out more about the programme, including whether your school is eligible, please use the link above.

Senior Mental Health lead training

The DfE is offering a £1,200 grant for a senior member of school or college staff to access quality assured training to implement an effective whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing in your setting.

This is part of the government’s commitment to offer mental health training to all eligible schools and colleges by 2025.

You can nominate your existing mental health lead (if they’re not a member of the SLT) but you will need to consider whether the individual has the authority, capacity and support to influence and lead strategic change within t setting.

Places are booking up fast, with many providers now taking bookings for Summer 2022.

Milton Keynes Mental Health Leads Network

The MK Mental Health Leads Network meets every half term and is an opportunity for mental health leads from different schools to meet and discuss cases and issues, as well as access the latest information about what is happening both locally and nationally with mental health initiatives and resources.

If you’d like further information about the network, or would like to join please email liz.nightingale@greenparksch.org.uk

Wellbeing for Education Recovery Project 2021-22

The Wellbeing for Education Recovery project in 2021 - 2022 builds on the work of the project last academic year. It focuses on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, through targeting areas of local priority. This includes helping local schools and colleges navigate existing local support, as well as providing ongoing support, training and advice.

In Milton Keynes, the project continues to be led by the Educational Psychology service and includes the following activities:

  • development of support for Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) in MK, including resources and training for parents and schools
  • drawing together useful sources of support, information, training and resources for schools.
  • a new coaching supervision offer to school staff
  • a limited offer of 1:1 or group anxiety intervention work for children and young people in schools

Find out more

A Toolkit for Parents

Mental health difficulties in children and young people: A toolkit for parents  is an excellent free resource for parents and carers. It also contains useful information and signposting for schools. It has been developed in collaboration with Place to Be and Young Minds.

Mentally Healthy Schools (Anna Freud Centre)

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Anna Freud Centre has created a range of helpful resources and toolkits. Toolkits include resources for parents, children and young people, and schools on various themes including:  

  • staff and parent wellbeing
  • supporting vulnerable children and children with SEND
  • transitions
  • anxiety

The Anna Freud Centre has also launched its 5 Steps to Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework, a simple, free and interactive tool to help schools and colleges develop a whole setting approach on their own terms. It’s also providing a new series of seminars which look at building a whole school and FE approach to mental health.

Transitions: A Focus on Wellbeing

The Educational Psychology (EP) service and the Inclusion and Intervention team created some guidance to support children and young people returning to school following the COVID-19 pandemic in September. It was designed to support school staff and parents/carers, and builds upon the principles in the Recovery Curriculum. It focuses on prioritising nurture, relationships and emotional wellbeing.

Whilst the context is now different, the principles in the document remain pertinent to support wellbeing of children and many can be applied to the changing context. 

Read our returning to school following COVID guidance.

Education Staff Wellbeing Charter

The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter was created to highlight staff wellbeing in the education sector. It’s designed to be a tool for schools and colleges to create, and publicly commit to, their own wellbeing strategies. All state funded schools and colleges are invited to familiarise themselves with the charter, and to sign up when it is available in the autumn, as a shared commitment to protect, promote and enhance the wellbeing of their staff.

It is voluntary and there is no deadline to sign up.

Teaching about mental health and wellbeing

The DfE has published the first of the relationships, sex and health education training modules for teachers. This supports them in preparing to deliver content on mental health and wellbeing. The training module on teaching about mental wellbeing has been developed with clinical experts and schools. It will improve teacher confidence in talking and teaching about mental health and wellbeing in the classroom. It was published early given the importance of supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing at this time.

A communication to schools about the implementation of the RSHE curriculum outlines the DfE expectations in the first year of compulsory RSHE teaching and explains the flexibilities you have due to COVID-19.

Support and resources for adults

Public Health

MK Public Health has a wealth of information for adults about looking after your mental wellbeing during the Coronavirus pandemic. This includes signposting to useful resources and information about dealing with bereavement at this time.

NSPCC

The NSPCC has created several resources to support parents and carers during this difficult time. These can be found on the NSPCC website. Topics include:

  • talking to a child worried about coronavirus
  • parents working from home
  • children staying home alone
  • lockdown and separated parents
  • how to cope with tantrums and other difficult behaviour

NHS – Every Mind Matters

Having good mental health helps us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. The Every Mind Matters website has expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing. Content includes:

  • 10 tips to help if you’re worried about coronavirus
  • looking after children and young people
  • 7 simple ideas to tackle working at home
  • mental wellbeing while staying at home
  • free mind plan
  • ways to get support for yourself
  • ways to help other people

Drugs, alcohol and young people

Young people’s substance misuse is a growing issue - find out more about how we support local families.

DfE guidance

Further evidence-based information

The documents below provide schools with more useful information.  These include tips for promoting mental health, tips on working from home and information that could be shared with families.

 

Support and resources for children

Children’s guide to Coronavirus

The Children’s Commissioner for England has created a child friendly guide about coronavirus that aims to answer children’s questions. It explains how to stay safe, how to protect other people and how to make the best of time spent at home.

Coronavirus - A free book for Children illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Axel Scheffler (illustrator of The Gruffalo) has illustrated a digital book for primary school children about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it. Published by Nosy Crow, and written by staff within the company, the book has had expert input from Professor Graham Medley of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The company also had advice from two headteachers and a child psychologist.

NSPCC Learning

The NSPCC have published a briefing that provides an overview of the main concerns that children and young people have been talking to Childline counsellors about during the coronavirus pandemic. Gaining an insight into the worries that children have shared with Childline during this pandemic can help adults think about what support needs to be put in place for young people at this time.

Educational psychology service - support during the Coronavirus pandemic

The MK universal level support includes resources and advice to support the wellbeing of children and young people during the pandemic.

SEND Local Offer

The SEND local offer parents section includes some useful ideas and activities for supporting wellbeing at home.

Useful websites:

Mental health and wellbeing Apps: