The good and bad of new school guidance on mental wellbeing

Guidance for teachers released in the summer to support the new curriculum sets out clear outcomes that schools need to deliver, while allowing them the freedom to decide for themselves exactly how they will do this. While settings are being encouraged to implement the changes by September, they are being given leeway by the government to delay this until April 2021 as a result of the challenges caused by Covid-19.

While there’s much to like in the guidance, it’s something that could have gone much further in supporting staff in understanding how they can put mental health and wellbeing at the centre of school life. Young people are having to navigate a complex world because of things like social media, so it is vital that schools give them the skills to manage the choices they face every day as they move towards adulthood. As such, how we teach children about what mental health is and how they can develop and maintain it is of paramount importance.