Toolkit to support teachers to improve student wellbeing

The Classroom Wellbeing Toolkit, which has been produced by the Anna Freud Centre and Early Intervention Foundation (EIF), aims to build teacher confidence in supporting secondary school students facing mental health challenges.

The charities’ prior research shows that 40 per cent of teachers do not feel confident helping students with mental health issues, despite the rising cases – 82 per cent of teachers reported increasing levels of anxiety or depressive symptoms among students.

• Supporting children’s mental health in school

• Call for more training to identify eating disorders in children earlier

The toolkit contains practical strategies for teachers covering five key areas: building supportive relationships, creating an inclusive classroom environment, promoting good mental health, responding to stress, low mood and anxiety, and preventing bullying, cyberbullying and sexual harassment.

The resources have been written by education experts based on guidance from teachers and young people.

The two charities are calling for the resource to be included in the curriculum for all initial teacher training and ongoing staff development.

It's publication follows recent guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the Department for Education, which discussed the value of taking a whole-school approach to addressing student mental health and wellbeing needs.

It also references the government's current pilot scheme for training senior mental health leads within schools to lead on wellbeing policy.

Jaime Smith, director of the Anna Freud Centre’s Schools Division, said: “Embedding a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing across the whole school community, including having a trained senior mental health lead, will support students to thrive. It will also improve attendance and attainment, giving students the best chance to fulfil their potential.

“Teachers repeatedly tell us they want practical suggestions on how to make a difference. This toolkit is not asking teachers to be mental health professionals, or to add to already overstretched workloads, but instead focuses on simple strategies that can be employed by all classroom teachers as part of their everyday practice."

Rahi Popat, pastoral support officer at Keyham Lodge School in Leicester, noted that the school has witnessed a “huge rise” in children experiencing mental health difficulties over the last few years, adding that the new toolkit “allows for professionals to pick which areas works best for their students and tailor it to what is happening in their school community”.

“It helps fuel connection and helps build stronger and positive relationships with students. We want all teachers to feel empowered, enriched and excited at the prospect of using such a valuable piece of work in their setting," he said.

The toolkit advises that building positive connections between staff and students is “fundamental to protecting mental health and wellbeing”, and is proven to improve attendance, academic grades, student engagement and to reduce disruptive behaviour.

Top tips for developing positive relationships with students:

• Make time to chat briefly with individual students, such as asking how their weekend was

• Use active listening techniques to show you understand the student’s perspective

• Notice things and be aware of changes, such as a shift in a student’s mood

• Share information about yourself to build a friendly relationship

• Be reliable and follow through on things you’ve said you will do

The toolkit offers more tips for teachers, including advice on supporting students experiencing stress, low mood, and anxiety, and guidance on bullying and sexual harassment prevention in classrooms.