Mental Health and Initial Teacher Education
This section of the website was set up to support a workshop at the ESCalate initial teacher education conference at Glyndwr University in May 2009. See here for slides and handouts. It is under development. Do contact us and let us know how we can support you in your work.
Mental wellbeing and schools - an annotated reading list. WORD document
News
- *****Mental wellbeing and the curriculum: making the connections in initial teacher education****** Joint TEAN and mhhe workshop, 30 March 2011 at the University of Cumbria. Further details , resource sheet and workshop reports.
- Troubled Minds - BAFTA award winning animations available on Teachers TV.
- 1st TEAN annual conference: mhhe workshop on Mental wellbeing as a threshold concept in Initial Teacher Education. Click here for slides and handouts.
- Click here for details of a past workshop in the West Midlands region organised by the School of Education, Birmingham University under the mhhe workshop scheme.
- Foundation degree. Working with children: education and wellbeing.
Page last updated on 28 April 2011.
Reports and publications
The transition from primary to secondary school: how an understanding of mental health and emotional wellbeing can help children schools and families 2011
Young Minds report.
The role of primary mental health workers in education 2010
This review evaluates the role of Primary Mental Health Workers (PMHWs) to date, focusing in particular on their role within education, and presents illustrations of PMHWs' practices. It can inform the development and expansion of PMHW links with education. It will be of interest to policy makers and practitioners in education and mental health, including PMHWs, CAMHS specialists and education staff.
One Year On 2010
The first report from the National Advisory Council for Children's Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing
Indicators of a schools contribution to wellbeing Consultation document 2009
As signalled in the Children's Plan and in the well-being guidance, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Ofsted have been working to develop strong school-level indicators to improve the information available to schools to help them assess the well-being issues their pupils face and to evaluate the school's contribution to promoting pupil well-being.
CAMHS Review and Full Government Response 2008-9
The CAMHS Review found that local services have made significant progress in recent years, but that more needed to be done to improve the consistency, accessibility and suitability of services. The final report, Children and Young People in Mind, contained 20 recommendations for Government and set out a clear vision of how we can all take responsibility for promoting children's psychological wellbeing and mental health.
Common mental health problems - supporting school staff by taking positive action 2008
DCSF have published a guidance leaflet entitled ‘Common mental health problems: Supporting school staff by taking positive action.' The document - which was written in cooperation with Teacher Support Network - outlines how to deal positively with common mental health problems amongst teachers and other school staff.
Social and emotional wellbeing in primary education March 2008
Children's social and emotional wellbeing is important in its own right but also because it affects their physical health (both as a child and as an adult) and can determine how well they do at school. Good social, emotional and psychological health helps protect children against emotional and behavioural problems, violence and crime, teenage pregnancy and the misuse of drugs and alcohol. This NICE guidance is for teachers, school governors and professionals with public health as part of their remit working in education, local authorities, the NHS and the wider public, independent, voluntary and community sectors. Includes links to a number of powerpoint slide sets to aid implementation.
Childhood Wellbeing Qualitative Research Study - 2008
This study set out o listen to the views of parents & carers (P&C) and children & young people (CYP) to gain a better understanding of what they are thinking about when they talk about wellbeing & happiness. The research involved 16 discussion groups covering children & young people in school years 3,7,9 and 11 as well as 12 discussion groups covering parents of children & young people across all key stages (including 3 with lone parents) and 3 family depth interviews.
School-based counselling services in Wales - a National Strategy - 2008
This document sets out the Welsh Assembly Government's strategy for developing school-based counselling services for children and young people.
Systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions to promote wellbeing in primary schools 2007
This report is a systematic review of the published literature on the effectiveness of school based interventions that aim to promote mental wellbeing amongst children in primary education and that both take a universal approach and are primarily focussed on the prevention of violence or bullying. It reports data from 17 studies outside the United Kingdom.
Healthy Minds: Promoting mental health and wellbeing in schools July 2005
This report examines the vital role played by schools in promoting the emotional well-being of their pupils. It analyses practice based on evidence gathered from visits to 72 schools and reports on the impact of the guidance provided to schools.
This report presents and discusses the findings of a research project conducted by the Research Department of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust in association with Roehampton University and the Mental Health Foundation commissioned by NASUWT. The objective was to explore the issues related to the recognition and management of mental health problems in UK schools.
Promoting emotional health and wellbeing through the national healthy school standard May 2004
This is a well argued briefing that promotes emotional health and wellbeing as part of every school's approach to effective learning.
Creating an environment for emotional and social well-being 2003
This WHO ocument and its Psycho-social Environment Profile are designed to help school personnel assess qualities of the school environment that support social and emotional well-being. It is intended to be a starting point, leading to awareness, discussion, and action by school personnel, students and parents.
Effective Joint Working Between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Schools 2003
This report sets out the findings of research conducted by the Mental Health Foundation commissioned by Department of Education and Skills to explore joint working between schools and CAMHS in England and identify ways in which this might be improved.
Promoting Children's Mental Health within Early Years and Schools Settings June 2001
This guidance has been written for Local Education Authorities, schools, early years settings and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. It has been produced as a result of increasing recognition of the importance of promoting all children 's mental health and emotional well-being and the importance of working together to promote this.
Research reports and presentations
Investigating the links beteween mental health and behaviour is schools 2005
This project aimed to improve the links between research and practice on mental health issues in schools. By consulting with research end users it aimed to improve the passage of evidence into practice and to generate new research questions and themes for analysis which were salient to practitioners and policy makers. The project is based around findings from a Scottish Executive Education Department ( SEED) study conducted by the Rowan Group which looked at the ways in which schools support children whose mental health problems result in poor behaviour.
Promoting Mental Health in Schools through Education (PROMISE)
This is a nationally funded study conducted in secondary schools in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Wiltshire, and Nottingham. The study will compare three types of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) to see whether they can help young people to stay happy and positive in their mood and stop them becoming depressed.
Voluntary Sector Support of Mental Wellbeing in Schools
Powerpoint presentation drawing on findings from 3 case studies of voluntary sector partnership with schools to support mental health.
2. Organisations and Initiatives
Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition
The Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition (CYPMHC) brings together leading charities to campaign jointly on the mental
health and wellbeing of children and young people.
The EFA training course, written by Stuart Gemmell, Jacquie Kelly and Dave Smith in February 2009, runs for 6 sessions and is evaluated by Southampton Solent University. Each session focuses on a specific area or issue arising when working with a young person. The course is directed at practitioners who come into contact with young people eg teachers, youth workers, project co-ordinators, to aid the detection of signs of ‘emotional stuckness' thereby reducing the risk of more severe disorders.
Integrated Children's Services in Higher Education
This Higher Education Academy project (ICS-HE) focuses on professional education for integrated children's services to meet the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda. Key disciplines and professions include: education, early years professionals, careers, nursing, midwifery, medicine, psychology, social work and youth and community work.
International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools
Intercamhs is an international network of agencies and individuals who believe that addressing mental health issues in schools is vitally important to the wellbeing of school community members.
National Advisory Council for Children's Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing
The National Advisory Council for children's mental health and emotional wellbeing (NAC) is an independent body that was set up following the publication of the National CAMHS Review. Its remit is to: champion the importance of mental health and psychological wellbeing and keep it as a national priority; ensure that the recommendations in the CAMHS Review are effectively addressed and hold Government to account for its progress on implementing the 20 recommendations from the CAMHS Review
National Healthy Schools Programme
Offering close support and guidance to primary care trusts, local authorities and their schools, the Programme is equipping children and young people with the skills and knowledge to make informed health and life choices and to reach their full potential.
Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is a planned programme of learning opportunities and experiences that help children and young people grow and develop as individuals and as members of families and of social and economic communities. This website includes resources on emotional health and wellbeing.
The Rowan Group is a focus for policy-related research on children and young people's education, health and well-being. It is a collaborative group based in the School of Education at the University of Aberdeen and the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Teesside.
Targeted mental health in schools
Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) is a three-year pathfinder programme aimed at supporting the development of innovative models of therapeutic and holistic mental health support in schools for children and young people aged 5 to 13 at risk of, and/or experiencing, mental health problems; and their families.
Teacher Support Network is a group of independent charities and a social enterprise that provide practical and emotional support to staff in the education sector and their families
Teacher Education Advancement Network
TEAN is a collaborative initiative, mutually beneficial to teacher education providers and associated organisations across the four countries of the UK. They present events, an online peer-reviewed journal, latest news and the Teacher Educators' Storehouse.
Rethink, as part of a large scale anti-stigma campaign, will be delivering sessions to trainee teachers from February 2009.
3. Resources
Guidance for senior leaders to support the use and implementation of Behaviour and attendance training materials.
Everybody's business - tier one training resource
A national core training resource for alll CAMHS workers in tier one, which includes teachers. Includes e-learning modules on 1) What is Mental Health 2) How CAMHS are structured 3) Mental health problems and disorders and 4) What helps.
The HandsOnScotland Toolkit is an online resource for anybody working with children and young people. This website is designed to help make a difference to children and young people's lives, by giving others tools to respond helpfully when they are troubled.
The Legal framework fo the mental health care of children
These notes and accompanying materials seek to assist those providing training to mental health professionals on the legal framework for the care and treatment of children and young people with severe mental disorders who may require specialist mental health care, such as admission to hospital.
Mentally Healthy Children and Young People
Web pages from Well Scotland.
Mental health and growing up: factsheets for parents, teachers and young people
Third edition of this publication includes 36 factsheets providing practical and up-to-date information about the emotional and psychiatric disorders which can affect children and young people. Aimed in particular at adults who look after children, especially parents and teachers, they will also be helpful for young people who may be concerned about themselves or a friend.
Mental Health Matters: FE Teachers Toolkit
Aims to equip Further Education (FE) teachers with the knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of learners who experience mental health difficulties.
MindMatters is a resource and professional development program supporting Australian secondary schools in promoting and protecting the mental health, social and emotional wellbeing of all the members of school communities.
This publication provides a framework for educators and trainers who are developing, delivering and evaluating programmes, using a collaborative approach. It aims to help in commissioning pre and post-qualification child and adolescent emotional well-being and mental health education and training programmes
The Healthy Further Education (FE) programme aims to improve the health of those who study or work in the FE sectorthrough working with FE providers to make the health and wellbeing of staff and students an integral part of all aspects of life in FE.
Doing well at school is an important factor for the healthy development of children and young people. Nurture groups provide a safe and nurturing learning environment where each child is valued, understood and has their emotional needs met appropriately. They offer an experience of adults through which trust and confidence are built and learning begins to take place. The Nurture Group Network is the national umbrella organisation for nurture groups and supports the work carried out in schools across the United Kingdom. There are now around 1,000 groups, not only in primary schools but at secondary level as well.
This website introduced Quality Circle Time (QCT) - a democratic and creative approach used to support teachers and other professionals in managing a range of issues that affect the whole learning community. Teaching staff, children, support staff, parents and governors can be actively involved. QCT has proved successful in promoting better relationships and positive behaviour, two of the most effective improvements to both learning and the smooth and harmonious running of a school.
Response Ability (an Australian Initiative) seeks to facilitate the integration of mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention and suicide prevention issues into secondary, primary and early childhood pre-service teacher education including the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector.
Self harm in children and young people - handbook
This Handbook is designed to provide basic knowledge and awareness of the facts and issues behind self-harm in children and young people, with advice about ways staff in children's services can respond.
School Matters - Teacher Mental Health
School staff talk openly and honestly about their mental health problems amid claims that one in three teachers will be affected by them at some point during their career. Chris Danes and former president of the NUT John Illingworth talk about how their depression forced them to leave their respective posts of deputy headteacher and headteacher. Carole Dimmock, a primary school teacher, tells us why she ended up being admitted to a mental health unit. St Philip's Special school in Surrey, which employs a therapeutic consultant to work with the pupils, has found that his services are increasingly being used by the staff as medical assistance for teachers facing mental health problems is erratic. 30 minute video.
Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)
The SEAL resource is designed to support schools in the work they are doing to develop the school as a community that promotes social, emotional and behavioural skills.
Tackling Stigma - a practical toolkit
This document brings together guidance, best practice examples, case studies, resources and literature to help tackle the stigma associated with children's and young people's mental health.
BAFTA award winning animations on mental health - available on Teachers TV.
What do we mean by ‘wellbeing' for young people? How is it shaped by social differences and inequalities, and how can we improve young people's mental and physical health? This OU OpenLearn unit examines the range of factors affecting young people's wellbeing, such as obesity, binge drinking, depression and behavioural problems. Guide time for completion: 16 hours
4. Other useful links
Funded Projects (ESCALATE, 2010):
- Troublesome Encounters: Strategies for managing the wellbeing of Postgraduate Education students during their learning processes
- Trainee teachers' physical and mental wellbeing: a study of university and school experience provision.
The School as a location for the promotion and support of mental health.
Past ESRC Seminar series
Child Poverty in Perspective - an overview of child wellbeing in rich countries 2007
The report for the first time measures and compares overall child well-being across six dimensions: material well-being, health and safety, education, peer and family relationships, behaviours and risks, and young people's own subjective sense of their own well-being. In total, 40 separate indicators of child well-being - from relative poverty and child safety, to educational achievement to drug abuse - are brought together in this overview to present a picture of the lives of children.