What is Mental Health?
The following information has been taken from the Anna Freud Mentally Healthy Schools website:
We all have mental health. Your mental health affects how you feel, think and act. It refers to your emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. Your mental health can change on a daily basis and over time, and can be affected by a range of factors.
It’s important to look after your mental health, as you would look after your physical health. Your state of wellbeing affects how you cope with stress, relate to others and make choices. It also plays a part in your relationships with your family, community, colleagues and friends.
Good mental health among children and young people
When children and young people have good levels of wellbeing it helps them to:
- learn and explore the world
- feel, express and manage positive and negative emotions
- form and maintain good relationships with others
- cope with, and manage, change, setbacks and uncertainty
- develop and thrive.
When children and young people look after their mental health and develop their coping skills it can help them to boost their resilience, self-esteem and confidence. It can also help them learn to manage their emotions, feel calm, and engage positively with their education – which can, in turn, improve their academic attainment.
What affects children and young people’s mental health?
A child or young person’s mental health will be influenced by many things over time and, because they all have different personalities, they will react and cope with challenging situations in different ways.
How many children and young people have a mental health condition?
The rate of poor mental health in children differs across the UK. Research for England suggests that one in 10 primary school children has an identifiable mental health condition, which rises to one in seven secondary school students. In both primary and secondary schools, this is equivalent to three children in every class.
The research shows that children are more likely to experience a mental health condition as they get older. The figure rises to one in six 17 to 19-year-olds who have a mental health condition.

How schools can support children and young people’s mental health?
Schools are the ideal environment to promote and support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.
Most children and young people spend a significant amount of time in school and with their teachers, which means that school staff are in a good position to identify a child who may be struggling, and help refer them to get the support they need.
Schools can also help children develop social and emotional skills, providing them with the coping skills and tools they need to understand and manage their thoughts, feelings, behaviour, goals and relationships.
Schools can do this through teaching health and wellbeing education (RSHE – Relationship, Sex and Health Education) and weaving these topics and skills throughout the broader curriculum and school life. Health and wellbeing shouldn’t be taught in isolation but reinforced throughout the curriculum and the time that the child or young person is in school.
Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) – photo of David?
Through a DfE Government funded scheme, schools were invited to identify a member of school staff who could lead on supporting the mental wellbeing of the pupils, staff and wider school community. We are pleased that Mr. Bowen is our recently trained member of staff. Training was provided through the Anna Freud Foundation.
Senior mental health leads in schools are not expected to be mental health professionals; it is not the role of teachers and school leaders to diagnose or treat mental health conditions. However, with appropriate training, SMHLs can take the lead on implementing a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
Wellbeing Ambassadors
Wellbeing Ambassadors is a programme funded by Surrey’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Alliance, designed to amplify pupil voice on whole school wellbeing. The programme empowers young leaders to promote and support wellbeing within their school community through education, activities, events and whole school communication.
We are pleased that our current Year 5’s have received Wellbeing Ambassadors training.
Designed around the evidence-based framework of the Five Ways to Wellbeing, the training focuses on three areas:
- Introducing the framework of the Five Ways to Wellbeing to help pupils explore what wellbeing is, why it’s important and how to improve it
- Clarifying the role of a Wellbeing Ambassador and understanding what support is available, both in and out of school
- Providing an opportunity to hear pupil voices about wellbeing priorities in their school and using this to develop ideas for making improvements
With support from a designated member of staff, the programme aim is to develop Wellbeing Ambassadors who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to initiate and lead activities, campaigns and events that ultimately create a positive, supportive and resilient environment at school.
Our Wellbeing Ambassadors will also be able to provide support to pupils during playtimes and lunchtimes.
Supporting mental health:
https://www.wwf.org.uk/5-ways-connect-nature-help-our-wellbeing