In today’s increasingly polarised world, something I am certain we can all agree on is that we want the very best for every child, with ample opportunity for them to grow, thrive and ‘conquer’ the world. As we’ve heard time and time again, children are the future. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure we are providing the right environment, support and guidance to help them both in and beyond the classroom.
To achieve this, children need to be equipped with a practical foundation of socio-emotional skills and, importantly, resilience so that they can continue to tackle whatever the world throws at them throughout their lives. While they are in school, we as educators have both the responsibility and the mission to help them build and strengthen these foundations so they can effectively cope with the highs and lows of life.
Across the education sector, we are constantly facing new challenges to pupils’ wellbeing and mental health that subsequently impact learning, behaviour, attendance and attainment. These challenges can surface from a multitude of factors including the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and the strain it is putting on families, the continual rise of social media, false realities and damaging content, the long-term effects of the pandemic and the social isolation it created, and a general increase in stress and anxiety within society. As a result, children’s mental health is at an all-time low, with an NHS survey finding that one in five children suffered from a mental disorder in 2023.
Poor mental health and wellbeing can be detrimental to a child’s educational experience. Furthermore, it can make it more challenging for them to cope with complex situations or feelings, which can consequently impact their relationships with others and attitudes towards learning. Poor mental health in pupils can also be damaging to the wider school community and culture as children’s aspirations and behaviours fail to align with the school’s expectations.
At Penrose Learning Trust, our staff and leaders recognise that in order to address the challenges that a whole school or trust might be facing, we first need to focus on the wellbeing of pupils. This is the very reason why we championed staff in creating a tailored wellbeing programme, beginning with two primaries and now supporting more than 1,500 children across Tendring and Colchester.