Written by Dean Johnstone, CEO and Founder of Minds Ahead.
Quick Summary: Whole School Mental Health in 2025
85% of schools report implementing a whole school approach
Key gaps: parent engagement, tracking impact, referrals
Minds Ahead calls for national leadership, long-term funding and strategic guidance
Learn more: Explore Our School Mental Health Framework
A decade ago, the UK government launched its guidance on the whole school and college approach to mental health. In July 2025, a new review from the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition shows that while implementation has accelerated, schools are still struggling to embed these approaches systemically and sustainably.
Minds Ahead, established in 2017, has worked alongside hundreds of schools and trusts. We’ve seen what works. But we also know that policy alone isn’t enough—we need action, accountability and investment to make a lasting difference.
What’s Working: Commitment and Leadership in Schools
According to the report From Policy to Practice, 85% of schools say they have adopted a whole school approach. Many have trained a Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) and aligned school culture with wellbeing priorities.
This progress matters. Research shows that whole school approaches to mental health improve:
- Student wellbeing
- Attendance and behaviour
- Staff morale and retention
- Academic outcomes
What’s Missing: Strategy, Support and System Join-Up
Despite clear intentions, schools continue to face major challenges:
- Identifying mental health needs and measuring impact
- Engaging parents and carers effectively
- Accessing specialist support and timely referrals
Only around half of schools currently benefit from Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), and staff often feel underprepared despite goodwill and effort.
These gaps echo the challenges identified in Minds Ahead’s School Mental Health Manifesto: fragmented systems, underfunded training, and limited guidance are stalling progress.
Our Approach: A Holistic, Strategic and Sustainable Framework
At Minds Ahead, we’ve developed a robust School Mental Health Approach that moves beyond compliance and into culture-shaping practice. Our approach focuses on five key principles:
- Think Holistically – consider the whole child and staff wellbeing
- Plan Strategically – align leadership, policies and systems
- Take Preventive Measures – design environments that support resilience
- Be Proactive – work effectively with families and external services
- Be Reflective – embed professional learning and continuous improvement
This isn’t about one-off training or isolated projects—it’s about transforming how schools think, act and lead on mental health.
What we are calling for
We support the report’s seven recommendations, and add our voice to the growing calls for:
- A fully funded, national plan to embed whole-school mental health
- Ongoing funding for Senior Mental Health Lead training
- Statutory guidance, co-produced with school communities
- A national wellbeing measurement framework
- Strategic investment in mental health qualifications and staff development
Explore our full policy vision: Read the Manifesto
What Schools Can Do Now
You don’t have to wait for the policy to change. Minds Ahead can help you take the next step now:
- Train your team with our accredited Level 2, Level 5 or Level 7 qualifications
- Commission our consultancy for whole school strategy, training or peer mentoring
- Join a community of leaders, teachers and changemakers driving national transformation
Talk to us today: info@mindsahead.org.uk
Learn more: www.mindsahead.org.uk
Let’s move from patchwork to progress. From policy to practice. And from short-term fixes to long-term flourishing.