Whole school culture of wellbeing

Emma Spillane works with schools to support them in creating a safe environment in which vulnerable children feel calm, grounded and ready to learn. In this interview, she details 3 specific areas of interest where schools can make adjustments that make a difference to the daily experiences of their most vulnerable children.

In this interview with three secondary students and their head teacher it is encouraging to hear one pupil state “It’s OK not to be OK”. An open culture around mental health in their schools ​has provided the support they need, and the confidence to speak about mental health. Find out more about their strategies for improving mental health, from transition to year 7 throughout all year groups.

This podcast is released to coincide with the newly launched Senior Mental Health Lead Training Grant from the Department for Education. Anna Bateman offers two themes for success to embed mental wellbeing in schools.

“No one wants to get mental health wrong’ says clinical psychologist Asha Patel. Find out her strategies for helping schools tailor their responses to individual students’ different mental health journeys.

Head teacher Richard Ellis has a positive, considered approach to mental wellbeing in school, both for his staff and children. This interview is both practical and inspirational.

Anthony Beckett is a senior assistant headteacher and mental wellbeing and safeguarding lead. He has succeeded in building mental resilience across the whole school, for teachers as well as students. Find out how.

This is an enlightening interview discussing the difficulties in spotting a hidden carer, who often goes unnoticed when dealing with the challenge of looking after a parent or sibling who has a mental health difficulty.

Dan and Marcus say that if you believe, you can achieve. They help students identify their strengths and acknowledge their true self-worth which in turn builds confidence that they can overcome obstacles and make their way in life.

An interview with 3 year 11 students to hear their views on exam stress and what they feel schools and teachers could do to help them prepare for their all important exams and alleviate stress levels when under exam pressure.

Pupils from Ainthorpe Primary, along with a member of their senior leadership team, tell us about their experience of using a Lottery funded programme called Headstart to promote a whole school approach to mental wellbeing.