Developing your skills

Anna Freud Centre

Schools in Mind: a free network for school staff and allied professionals which shares practical, academic and clinical expertise regarding the wellbeing and mental health issues that affect schools. The network provides a trusted source of up-to-date and accessible information and resources that school leaders, teachers and support staff can use to support the mental health and wellbeing of the children and young people in their care. It links to online resources but there are also free training events. Staff can sign up and receive updates and invitations.

Schools Wellbeing Movement: part of the Schools in Mind Project,  it emphasises the need for school staff working with children with emotional wellbeing and mental health issues to have good support systems in turn.

London Grid for Learning

This site offers courses across a wide range of topics, including emotional wellbeing and mental health. There is a specific section available on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The Thrive Approach

This site is a source of information and training course for teaching staff. It is aimed at helping staff better understand the emotional and social development relevant to a child’s age. It is aimed at helping staff to understand a child’s challenging or troubling behaviour as communication. Every child gets a personal plan; staff get simple and practical ideas about how to be and what to do to implement the plan, and then can easily monitor the results.

Recognising eating disorder symptoms 

Transformation Partners in Health and Care has worked with a number of partners to produce practical guidelines to help professionals working with children and young people to recognise early signs of eating disorders. This includes guidelines for professionals working in education, as well as general guidance on recognising disordered eating in children and young people.

Supporting staff wellbeing in schools and colleges

Supporting yourself and colleagues

The Anna Freud Centre have created a booklet for educational professionals with practical guidance about what school staff and senior leaders can do to support their own wellbeing and their colleagues’ wellbeing. It provides simple guidance and good practice where schools have implemented wellbeing strategies.

Staff mental health calendar

‘The School Bus’ has created a educational staff mental health calendar in the form of a poster. This calendar includes one action each day such as taking 10 minutes for yourself, practicing deep breathing, finding time for a hobby, talking about your day, connecting with peers and more.

Teacher resilience during coronavirus school closures

The British Psychological Society have created a booklet on teacher resilience during school closures. It includes advice on overcoming adversity and being able to adapt to challenging situations.