4. Universal Approaches (for all pupils)
4a. A whole-school approach: building a mentally healthy school culture
‘Good mental health and wellbeing improves standards in schools and helps pupils achieve and thrive in education, setting them up well for life and work.’ (DfE)23
A whole-school approach to behaviour is not a one-off initiative or a fixed programme, but instead a long-term, strategic commitment that grows and develops over time. At its core, it’s about ensuring that high expectations are reflected in everything the school does: its values, its routines, its curriculum and its relationships. It is visible in the way pupils are greeted, the tone of communication between staff and families and the consistent way staff respond when things go wrong. It helps create a culture where positive behaviour becomes the norm, not the exception, and where all pupils, particularly those at risk of behavioural difficulties, are given the right conditions to succeed and thrive.
Both the Department for Education and NICE recommend that schools embed a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. DfE guidance sets out eight key principles, covering areas such as leadership, pupil voice, staff wellbeing, curriculum and partnerships with families.18 NICE guidance echoes this, stating that schools should: ‘Adopt a whole-school approach to support positive social, emotional and mental wellbeing of staff, children and young people (including people with a neurodiverse condition) in primary and secondary education.24
Both pieces of guidance underline that a whole-school approach really is the foundation for everything else.
Achieving this kind of culture relies on collective responsibility. Senior leaders, class teachers, support staff, governors, parents and the wider community all have a part to play. The most effective whole-school approaches focus on prevention, early intervention and targeted support, while also maintaining clear and fair boundaries that help pupils understand expectations, learn from their experiences and develop the skills they need to make more positive choices in the future.
Useful links:
- Anna Freud: 5 Steps to Mental Health and Wellbeing Free, evidence-based framework to help you develop a holistic, whole-school or college approach to mental health.
- NICE: Social, emotional and mental wellbeing in education Guidance on how schools and colleges can support the social, emotional and mental wellbeing of children and young people.
- Department for Education: Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges Guidance and resources to help schools and colleges develop a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
- Anna Freud: Mentally Healthy Schools Quality-assured resources, information and advice to help schools and colleges support mental health and wellbeing in their settings.
23. Department for Education (2022). Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges. Available at: Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges - GOV.UK
18. National Children’s Bureau (2023). New approach to attachment theory can help social workers improve outcomes for children, researchers say. Available at: https://www.ncb.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/news-opinion/new-approach-attachment-theory-can-help-social-workers-improve
24. NICE (2022). Social, emotional and mental wellbeing in primary and secondary education (NG223). Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng223