Case study: Engaging parents and families in wellbeing: How Leah Proctor improved her school’s wellbeing
Leah Proctor Pastoral leader, Primary and Nursery school in Derbyshire Leah recognised that supporting pupil wellbeing requires strong partnerships between schools and families. Her studies explored how family engagement supports children’s mental health. She organised workshops for parents focusing on understanding anxiety, practical support strategies and strengthening communication between families and the school. Parents reported […]
When loss shows up as behaviour: what schools need to see (and do)
Loss is part of many children’s lives—family separation, bereavement, friendship breakdown, or significant change. But in schools, loss is rarely recognised in its early stages. Not because it isn’t there, but because it doesn’t look how we expect. It doesn’t usually present as sadness. It presents as behaviour. Irritability. Withdrawal. Disruption. Inconsistency. And too often, this […]
Case study: Embedding preventative wellbeing systems: How Lakshmi Divakarla improved her school’s wellbeing
Lakshmi Divakarla Emotional Literacy Support Teaching Assistant, Francis Askew Primary School, Hull Lakshmi joined the School Mental Health Specialist programme to deepen her understanding of how schools can improve support for children’s wellbeing. The programme explored resilience, protective factors and preventative mental health strategies. Lakshmi introduced wellbeing conversations with pupils, developed the school’s emotional literacy […]
Towards a coherent approach to mental health
What school leaders do differently to move from activity to alignment “The difference is not what schools do, but how the system is organised.” Across many schools, there is no shortage of activity around mental health. Training is delivered. Programmes are introduced. Support is in place. Individually, much of this work is strong. But the shift to […]
Why good mental health work doesn’t always stick
Moving from initiative to system “Inconsistent experience leads to inconsistent impact.” Many schools can point to examples of strong mental health work. Yet, despite this, consistency is often hard to sustain. Support is put in place, staff are trained, initiatives are launched — but over time: This is not simply about implementation. It reflects how […]
What shapes mental health in schools
Why relationships, belonging and culture matter more than programmes “What shapes mental health is what pupils experience every day.” Mental health in schools is often approached through provision — what we deliver, what we offer, what we put in place. But emerging evidence and practice point in a different direction. What matters is not only what […]
Why mental health support isn’t enough in schools
When more support doesn’t solve the problem “Mental health becomes something we talk about only when something is wrong.” Schools have strengthened mental health support significantly in recent years. There are clearer referral pathways, designated leads, greater awareness, and stronger links with external services. This is necessary and valuable. And yet, a pattern persists. Even with […]
Why Early Years Practitioners Need Mental Health Training More Than Ever
The first five years of life shape everything that follows. Long before children arrive in Reception, the foundations of their emotional wellbeing, communication skills, behaviour patterns and capacity for relationships are already being formed. And new national research is making one thing increasingly clear: What happens in those early years matters more than ever. Recent […]
Why mental health in schools needs reshaping, not more support
What school leaders are seeing, and why current approaches aren’t shifting outcomes “Schools are not services we access when something goes wrong.” Across schools, there has been a significant increase in attention to mental health. More training, more roles, more support pathways. This is important, much needed progress. And yet, many schools are noticing a […]
Why Genuine Well-Being Must Be at the Heart of Education — and What the New Schools Policy Gets Right (and Misses)
We know that schools aren’t just places where children earn grades — they’re where they learn who they are, how to belong, and how to navigate the world. So when the UK Government published its new schools white paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, there was widespread attention to its promises to improve attainment and close the disadvantage gap. […]