A guide to pupil Mental Health

What is mental health?

Mental health refers to our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. We all have mental health, and it can change daily and over time. Our mental health affects how we feel, think and act. It affects how we cope with stress, relate to others, and make choices. It also plays a part in our relationships with family, friends, and peers. 

Children and young people benefit from good mental health and wellbeing in the following ways:

• It supports their development

• It improves school attendance

• It helps them engage with their learning

• It helps them to fulfil their future potential

Why is good mental health in schools important?

When children and young people have good mental health it can help them improve their resilience, self-esteem and confidence. Improving their mental health literacy can also help them learn how to manage their emotions and engage positively with their education. All of this, in turn, can improve their academic attainment. 

What is the role of schools in supporting mental health?

Our children and young people experience a unique set of pressures as they move through their school career. Adults who experienced four or more adversities in their childhood are four times more likely to have low levels of mental wellbeing and life satisfaction. From exams, social media, post-covid pressures, and post-16 choices - schools are uniquely positioned to identify and support pupils through these moments. One of the ways you can do this by raising awareness of the topic through conversations, lessons, and assemblies in school.

How can schools promote mental health and wellbeing?

There are lots of things that schools can do to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing - many of which are easy to work into the school week, for example:

• Assemblies

• Lesson plans

• Information sessions for parents

• Daily check-ins with pupils

• Posters

• Signposting to support and resources

• Use a pupil voice tool like tootoot

• Providing areas for decompression and relaxation

• Teaching and using techniques for mindfulness

5 tips for school staff to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing

Improving mental health and wellbeing in schools is the key to academic attainment. The smallest changes add up to create positive changes for your pupils. Take a look at some of the tootoot team’s suggestions for little changes you can make in school that will make a big difference for your pupils. 

Mindfulness Sessions

Incorporate mindfulness sessions into your daily routine, such as at the beginning or end of each class. These sessions can include simple breathing exercises or guided meditation. They’re a great way to help pupils ground themselves, reduce stress, and take a moment to focus on their thoughts and feelings. Headspace have some great free resources on their YouTube channel here.

Outdoor Learning

Introduce outdoor learning activities or time outside during the school day. This might be nature walks, gardening, or outdoor classroom sessions. Being in nature has been shown to have a positive effect on mental wellbeing, and it can help reduce anxiety and stress and improve mood.

Designated Mindfulness Spaces

Create spaces within the school where pupils can relax and de-stress when needed. These spaces don’t need much, just some comfortable seating. You could also include calming decorations, mindfulness toys/activities such as colour books or stress balls, our mental health posters, and resources for self-care.

Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations are a simple yet powerful tool to create a positive and supportive atmosphere for pupils. Encourage the use of affirmations by displaying the messages and quotes in common areas within your school – don’t forget the bathrooms! You could also encourage pupils to contribute to classroom ‘affirmation jars’ that teachers can use with pupils during mindful moments throughout the week.

Resources for Parents

Include resources, tips, and guidance in your parent communications to support them on their journey with children’s mental health. You could even offer workshops, Q&As or informational sessions during parents evenings if you have the resources. By involving parents in the conversation, you can create a well-rounded approach to supporting students’ wellbeing. Tootoot’s parent feature gives parents the ability to share their own messages directly with the school – a great way to bring parents into the conversation when it comes to pupil wellbeing.

How to measure pupil mental health and wellbeing

Recent research from tootoot found that pupils are more likely to seek support for mental health online, using digital tools such as phone apps to speak up about their concerns. At tootoot we understand that wellbeing and academic attainment go hand in hand and have made it our mission to ensure all young people have the key to unlock the support they require to fulfil their potential.

This is where tootoot can help, by providing a safe space for students to voice any concerns or worries before they develop into bigger problems. As well as a Pupil Voice Survey to help you understand your pupils’ mental wellbeing. 

Over the past 10 years, tootoot has supported over half a million children with questions, worries, and concerns. Interested in learning more? Book a 20-minute call with the tootoot team today.