The BERA Guide to Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools

This is a timely contribution to a post-Covid world where schools in particular are struggling to restore equilibrium for their pupils. Teachers, School Governors and Health professionals who work with CYP will greatly benefit from this book as well as academics whose research centres upon school-based intervention. The book is helpfully presented in two parts, the first addressing relevant theory and policy related to the mental health and wellbeing of CYP and the second offering informative case studies of how health promoting frameworks can operate in schools. Furthermore, the editors are all well qualified to comment on the current state of play in education.

I would highly recommend this book to both my academic colleagues and to the teaching professionals that I know and work with as a Primary School governor.

-- Professor Madeleine Ohl, University of West London

Addressing the pressing concern of deteriorating mental health among children and adolescents, the book offers a timely and insightful exploration of how to best support the mental wellbeing of young people in today's world. The authors, all possessing significant expertise and experience in psychology and education, particularly mental health, wellbeing, and inclusion in educational settings, shed light on the urgent need for effective interventions, emphasising the importance of collaborative and multi-disciplinary approaches.

The book's comprehensive approach encompasses theoretical frameworks, policy analysis, and practical case studies, which showcase innovative practices and interventions; it provides readers a detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities in promoting mental health within educational settings and offers a wealth of actionable strategies for educators, policymakers, and mental health professionals alike. The authors recognise the importance of embedding the student voice within whole school approaches and highlight the interconnectedness between staff wellbeing and pupil mental health. By addressing barriers to successful implementation, such as funding constraints and insufficient training, the authors offer valuable insights into how schools can create supportive environments for both students and staff.

This book provides evidence-based insights and practical guidance for fostering resilience and wellbeing in educational settings; therefore, it serves as a valuable resource for anyone invested in the mental health of children and young people and underscores the collective responsibility in creating supportive environments where all children and young people can thrive.

-- Dr Annita Ventouris, CPsychol, AFBPsS, FHEA, University of Hertfordshire. School of Life and Medical Sciences

This is an excellent book for anyone who is a part of a school community and would love to contribute to its development. The authors are experts in mental health and wellbeing, and they provide us with several different lenses to look through to the issues i.e. children and young people, their parents, teachers and school leaders. It is a timely book that offers highly useful strategies and practical suggestions to the whole school community in terms of supporting both mental health and wellbeing of all involved. I have used some of its suggestions in my teaching and some when parenting! If you are a stakeholder in school education right now, you will find this book very useful indeed.

-- Pınar Robinson-Gümüş, ITE Programme Leader, University Centre St Helens

Mental health difficulties in children and young people are continuing to increase at a time when specialist resources are under great strain, which means that non-specialists need to (and can very ably) provide support to the children they come into contact with. This is particularly true in the school environment. School staff may feel that their primary role is to instill academic learning in their pupils, but the reality is that children’s emotional wellbeing needs to be addressed if they are to successfully learn. This book addresses a number of issues around that wellbeing and how school staff can support children’s mental health. It takes complicated and, often, quite scary issues, and demonstrates how the right approaches, such as a trauma-informed or compassionate one, can encourage children to speak up about the difficulties they are facing and get the support they need. It normalizes experiences that children can find frightening and suggests practical ways of giving children the confidence to share their problems with an adult. It also explores the expanding world of online support that older children, in particular, might find useful. It brings together a wide selection of the most up-to-date research in order to inspire and build confidence in those in the front line.

-- Bronach Hughes, MBE, Pyramid Project Co-ordinator at the University of West Lo