KCSIE 2026: what changes for school mental health leads?
The 2026 edition of Keeping Children Safe in Education gives schools and colleges much clearer guidance on the relationship between mental health and safeguarding. It does not introduce the mental health lead for the first time, nor does it make the role compulsory. References to senior mental health leads have appeared in KCSIE since at least 2021. […]
Why relevant School Mental Health qualifications matter more than ever
New research from Anna Freud offers a stark insight into how supported families feel when it comes to children’s mental health and wellbeing. New research from Anna Freud offers a stark insight into how supported families feel when it comes to children’s mental health and wellbeing. In a nationally representative survey of 1,120 UK parents […]
Minds Ahead Student’s Graduation 2026
By Claire Sewell, Professional Development Lead at Minds Ahead Attending graduation at Leeds Beckett University is an honour and a privilege, but this year’s ceremony felt particularly meaningful as it was my first one as a programme lead. As I got near to The Rose Bowl there was a warm mix of excitement and a sense of […]
One Million Referrals Are Not Just a Statistic. They Are a Call to Rethink School Mental Health.
The latest figures highlighted by Sky News and the Children’s Commissioner should stop us all in our tracks. he latest figures highlighted by Sky News and the Children’s Commissioner should stop us all in our tracks. More than one million children in England now have an active referral to Children and Young People’s Mental Health […]
Compare Our Flagship Programmes
School Mental Health Specialist vs. Leadership of School Mental Health (Masters) Choosing the right programme depends on the kind of impact you want to make. Both qualifications are part of Minds Ahead’s pioneering School Mental Health Qualifications Framework, but they serve different professional pathways. Explore the key distinctions below to find the route that aligns […]
You cannot build resilient children with depleted adults
Why staff wellbeing is a system issue, not a side conversation “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” It is a familiar phrase. And in education, it is often acknowledged—but not always acted on. Because in practice, schools are still expected to do more, respond faster, and hold increasing complexity—often without a corresponding shift in […]
Everyday interactions are not neutral: how schools build resilience during loss
In schools, support for children experiencing loss is often associated with specific interventions. These matter. But they are not where most of the work happens. For most children, resilience is shaped not through isolated moments of support—but through the everyday interactions that surround them. And those interactions are never neutral. The subtlety of everyday practice […]
Strength in Collaboration: Why Working Across Educational Settings Matters
One of the greatest assets we have in education is each other. No single school, college, or practitioner holds all the answers — but collectively, our experience, creativity, and commitment form an incredibly powerful resource for children and young people. Collaboration across settings isn’t just a “nice to have”. It’s a driver of meaningful, sustainable improvement. When we connect […]
Stability is not a strategy: how schools create (or undermine) a sense of safety
Schools often talk about providing stability for children. But stability is not created by intention alone. It is experienced—or not experienced—through the day-to-day consistency of adult responses, routines, and expectations. For children navigating loss or significant change, this distinction matters. The misconception: stability as structure alone Many schools equate stability with: These are important. But […]
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 […]