The BERA Guide to Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools: Exploring Frontline Support in Educational Research and Practice

This chapter introduces the topic of mental health and wellbeing in schools and the overarching theoretical framework for the book. The evolving role of schools from nurturing environments to frontline support for pupils’ mental health and wellbeing is scrutinised in the context of demand, capacity and constraints in a post-pandemic world. Alongside this is a critical consideration of schools’ and education staff’s role, responsibilities and boundaries. The disparate mental health needs of pupils within the school population are discussed, as well as key risk and protective factors to help facilitate timely identification and appropriate support pathways for vulnerable pupils. Key topics and case studies which comprise the remainder of the book are introduced to navigate the reader, and this concludes the chapter.

The Mental Health of Children and Young People in England survey (National Health Service Digital, 2020) found that 1 in 6 children aged 5–16 have a probable mental health disorder. This represents 16% of children in that age group and is an increase from 1 in 9 in 2017 (Public Health England, 2021). Evidence suggests that some children and young people, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, females and those with pre-existing mental health needs appear to have experienced greater negative impacts on their mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic (Public Health England, 2021) and schools and colleges therefore play an important role in continuing to support children and young people’s mental health. Evidence from the national charity, Education Support (2022), also indicates that the mental health of staff working in education has deteriorated, leading to adverse effects on job satisfaction, burnout and retention. This chapter explores the latest evidence relating to Children and Young People’s (CYP) mental health and the whole school approach to mental health, including the mental health of staff who work in the education sector. It makes a case for implementing a mental health curriculum in schools. It addresses the concept of mental health literacy and approaches for working in partnership with children and young people. It makes an argument for universal screening and outlines approaches for working in partnership with parents, carers and other agencies. Theoretical perspectives are considered and applied to school contexts.

The detrimental effects of increased workloads and high-stakes accountability that impact on teachers’ job satisfaction and wellbeing have been well documented in the international literature (Holloway et al., 2017; Perryman et al., 2011). This chapter will explore the factors which influence staff mental health and wellbeing in schools. The authors unpack issues of burnout, job satisfaction and teacher attrition. The authors consider the concept of teacher resilience by situating resilience within a socio-ecological framework. Specifically, the authors draw on Greenfield’s (2015) model of teacher resilience. The authors draw on our own research to explore the relationship between staff wellbeing and student wellbeing (Glazzard & Rose, 2020). In addition, the authors consider the specific issues related to the wellbeing of school leaders.

Pupil ‘voice’ is heralded as a key tenet of education policy, practice and research; however, ensuring that voice is authentically heard in the spaces that children occupy remains a challenge. Models of participation – relating to the degree of power either shared or transferred – range from tokenistic approaches to true pupil–teacher partnerships in which pupils initiate ideas and share decision-making with adults. Shier’s (2001) five-step Pathway to Participation model is considered and practitioners are invited to reflect on their own position and identify necessary steps to increase pupil involvement in their local setting. For guidance, a philosophy club intervention for early years and primary-age children is presented as a real-world example of facilitating voice on both group and individual levels. This chapter argues the case for schools to genuinely embrace and utilise pupil voice as part of a whole-school approach to enhance mental health and wellbeing within learning communities.

In this chapter, the authors argue that technology can be advantageous to children and young people’s mental health. The authors argue that social media platforms can foster social connection, social support and access to important information to support mental health. The authors also highlight the risks, particularly the research which links technology to mental ill-health. The authors argue that the digital curriculum in schools should develop young people’s knowledge of digital literacy, digital citizenship and digital resilience. Finally, the authors explore the potential role that technological applications (apps) can play in supporting children and young people’s mental health. The authors argue that although research is in its infancy, some studies have produced promising results.

School-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programmes aim to improve pupils’ decision-making, emotional regulation and social skills. A body of international evidence has demonstrated the effectiveness of this type of early intervention for improving both mental health and educational outcomes. Nonetheless, if evidence of a programme’s effectiveness is to be usefully applied, educators need to know not only what works but how, and this is the theme of the chapter. Clearly, collaboration and consultation with teachers are essential to properly develop school-based provision. This case study introduces the Book of Beasties SEL intervention (which is based on a mental wellness card game and linked wellbeing activities) and charts its implementation in a primary school setting. Challenges and facilitators associated with embedding the programme are considered through the first-hand reflections of a primary school teacher who was also the delivery agent. Practical recommendations for a smooth and effective implementation, as well as pitfalls to avoid, are provided and can be applied to a local setting.

Global social restrictions driven by COVID-19 exposed the vast potential of digital technologies for remote mental health and wellbeing provision. To combat the youth mental health crisis, practitioners, researchers, and policy makers must seek innovative solutions. The digital adaptation of evidence-based, in-person programmes offers one such promising approach. Co-authored by a young person, this chapter discusses democratising the research agenda and presents an exploratory study with co-production at its heart. The aim of the project was to inform the development of digitalised resources based on the robustly evidenced Super Skills for Life psychosocial intervention for adolescents. ‘Key ingredients’ for effective online content are presented by the young person developer, alongside their personal reflections on co-production research. This case study illustrates how collaboration with intervention recipients can augment programme development and expand access to evidence-based support. Not only extending reach but offering a choice of support pathways to a digital generation.

Pupils identified with SEND represent a significant proportion of the school community, comprising four children (on average) in every classroom. Yet, evidence suggests a wide variation in provision and common instances of pupils’ learning and mental health needs being missed or not being identified accurately. Criticism has also been directed at the dominant attention afforded to academic targets at the expense of mental health needs. This chapter explores the experiences of pupils with SEND, specifically youth with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). Our case study charts a participatory action research (PAR) project designed to identify the unique issues facing pupils with 22q11.2DS and gaps in mental health and wellbeing support. A PAR approach recognises children and their families as the experts in issues affecting them and aims to capture their authentic ‘voice’. While educators are aware that pupils with SEND have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, there remains an urgent need to strengthen support in schools with appropriate training and resources for staff, which this case study underlines.

In educational settings, intersectional factors such as neurodiversity, structural inequalities and social isolation have resulted in additional complexity in meeting young people’s mental health needs. The specific phenomenon of voice-hearing can be linked to these complexities and stigma has been shown to further marginalise young people following disclosure. Educational staff report a lack of confidence and specialist training in this area. This chapter outlines the current understanding around the experience of voice-hearing and identifies examples of good practice by considering the lived experiences of individuals that have made a disclosure of this nature in school. Barriers to disclosure and what was helpful about the experience are discussed. Developing a trauma-informed ethos and compassion-focussed principles are highlighted as whole-setting approaches to support and benefit both young people with these presentations and education staff. Recommendations of relevant organisations and training initiatives in schools are provided with guidance on developing and implementing best practices.

This final chapter draws together the key findings presented in the preceding pages and considers emergent conclusions and implications for mental health and wellbeing in schools. The author draws upon the evidence presented by the book’s eclectic range of contributors and the health promoting schools’ (HPSs) framework to provide a road map of what an effective whole school approach (WSA) might look like moving forward. Crucially, lessons from recent crises in education, including COVID-19-driven changes in pathways to support, are highlighted as pivotal factors in a future vision which sees schools as an effective and sustainable frontline force to help tackle the global burden of child and adolescent mental health through a proactive, preventive stance. With this future focus in mind, next steps are considered in terms of developing effective and sustainable mental health and wellbeing support for all within healthy school settings.