Supporting children and young people’s wellbeing at school or college
School and college staff play a crucial role in building students’ mental health and wellbeing. These evidence-based, expert-led resources can help you support your students.
How do teachers and staff support students’ wellbeing?
We know school and college staff are often required to take on many responsibilities – including managing students’ wellbeing challenges. While this may be difficult at times, it means you can have a profound impact.
As a trusted adult in young people’s lives, you’re well placed to notice the subtle changes that might indicate a student is struggling – and you might be the first person they open up to. You can cultivate an environment where students feel safe, they matter and they belong.
Resources to help you support your students’ mental health
It's important you feel equipped to support young people. Here are three resources you can use to address common wellbeing challenges in your school or college.
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Seven ways to support young people who are worried
Our clinicians have developed a guide to help you respond to students experiencing anxiety, informed by cognitive behavioural therapy.
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Exam and assessment stress guidance
Exam stress can sometimes become difficult to manage and have a real impact on a young person’s mental health. This resource helps you identify and respond to signs of stress.
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Let's talk about anxiety: toolkit and animation
It's normal for all young people to experience anxiety at times. We've created an animation and accompanying resources to help you talk to young people about anxiety.
What factors impact children and young people’s wellbeing?
Young people's lives are filled with change and uncertainty - which can impact their mental health. Common influences include:
relationships with their peers and trusted adults
academic stress, bullying and their experience of education
the aftermath of the pandemic and social isolation
social media and the online world
poverty, discrimination and social inequity
global issues like climate change and the political landscape
How can schools and colleges promote wellbeing?
Young people spend around a third of their waking time at school or college. It’s important that this is a place where they feel safe, happy, and that their wellbeing matters.
Integrate mental health and wellbeing across curriculum and culture
Having open discussions about mental health and wellbeing helps reduce stigma around mental health issues. It also helps students understand and take care of their mental health, and to recognise when they need support.
Establish a peer support programme
Peer support may help students be honest about how they’re feeling, as young people often find it easier to talk to their peers than to staff. It also cultivates a sense of belonging, and helps students realise that they are not alone.
Create a safe environment for students and staff
When students feel safe, respected and supported, they are more likely to thrive in education. Strong wellbeing helps build confidence, boost engagement with learning, and makes it easier for young people to speak up when they need support.
Further help promoting wellbeing in your school or college
These tips are adapted from the ‘promoting wellbeing’ step of our 5 Steps to Mental Health and Wellbeing, an evidence-based framework for embedding a mental health approach into your setting. Use our action planning tool to guide you through the steps to supporting your whole-school or college community.
Read the 5 steps to mental healthTraining to support mental health in young people
Supporting children and young people's wellbeing can be challenging – but you’re not alone. Our training courses help you build the skills and confidence to manage the issues you and your students are most concerned about. Including:
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Digital Resilience: growing up online
Develop your understanding of what young people are doing online and what you can do to help keep them safe.
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School Attendance and Mental Wellbeing
Learn about the link between wellbeing and non-attendance, as well as strategies you can implement to support students to attend school or college.
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Autism and Wellbeing in Schools
This course helps you understand autistic students’ needs and how to implement an experience-sensitive approach.
Your mental health matters too
We know students’ wellbeing issues can have a knock-on effect on you. And to be able to keep doing all you do – and to guide students through the challenges they face – you need to put your own wellbeing first.
Read our resources for school and college staff wellbeing, designed to help you look after your mental health.
See our resources for supporting staffStay up to date with young people’s mental health
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