Mentors, Nurture Rooms, and Mindfulness: What Schools Can Do to Improve Pupils’ Mental Health

The Alarming Statistics

Recent data shows that around 20% of children and young people aged from eight to 25 years have a probable mental disorder. This is an increase from the 10% recorded in 2017, when the UK government declared the prevalence of mental ill health in children and young people to be “one of the burning injustices of our time”. The lack of investment in mental health services, coupled with growing demand, has left many children and young people with limited or no support.

The Impact on Schools

The effects are being felt in schools. Ofsted’s 2023 annual report includes concern about the rising use of part-time timetables in schools – which can be for children struggling with their mental health. Schools are operating with already stretched resources. However, they are an obvious route to supporting children’s mental health. Children and young people spend a significant proportion of their time in schools. With the proper resources to help, schools could offer swift support – especially when many children and young people experience delays in accessing external support, particularly from child and adolescent mental health services.

Introduction of a Mental Health Curriculum

A key way that schools could support children’s mental health is the introduction of a mental health curriculum. This would aim to develop pupils’ mental health literacy by developing their knowledge of mental health issues and introducing them to strategies to manage their own mental health. My own research with colleagues explored the impact of a mental health curriculum delivered by a sports community trust and school partnership, with 570 young people in schools across Cambridge.

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Dedication to Mental Health

Not only did students’ knowledge of mental health improve, but they also gained knowledge of strategies to help themselves cope with adversity and how to help others with mental ill health. Another strand of the whole school approach relates to working in partnership with children and young people to improve mental health. We conducted a study in which older students acted as mentors in secondary schools. They designed and delivered weekly physical activity sessions to younger students with social, emotional, and mental health needs.

Space and Time

Nurture groups are used in some schools to support children with social, emotional, and mental health needs. They can take place in nurture rooms, which tend to be more informal spaces than standard classrooms and provide positive environments for children to develop social and emotional literacy and regulation skills. A research study involving 384 children aged five and six demonstrated improvements in social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes, although there was no evidence that nurture groups led to improvements in academic outcomes.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is another practice that can take place in schools. The aim of mindfulness, as a practice, is to focus attention on the present rather than the past or the future, through guided participation. This could include focusing on breathing or a specific part of the body. People can then use mindfulness by themselves to support their own mental health. Research with 216 secondary school students has demonstrated positive effects, including improvements in emotional regulation and emotional clarity as well as a reduction in perceived stress.

The Importance of Professional Guidance

However, it is important to remember that teachers are not mental health therapists. There are professional boundaries that apply to what they can and cannot do. In a 2023 documentary on young people and mental health, presenter Roman Kemp called for the government to commit funding so that all schools can benefit from the expertise of an education mental health practitioner.

Conclusion

In conclusion, schools can play a vital role in supporting children and young people’s mental health, but they require help and funding to do so. By introducing a mental health curriculum, working with mentors, using nurture rooms, and practicing mindfulness, schools can provide children and young people with the support they need. Additionally, increased government funding would enable schools to appoint a suitably qualified designated member of staff to lead and manage the mental health provision across the school.

FAQs

What percentage of children and young people experience a probable mental disorder?

Around 20% of children and young people aged from eight to 25 years have a probable mental disorder.

What is the impact of a lack of investment in mental health services?

The lack of investment in mental health services has left many children and young people with limited or no support, leading to increased demands on schools.

What can schools do to support children’s mental health?

Schools can introduce a mental health curriculum, work with mentors, use nurture rooms, and practice mindfulness to support children’s mental health.

Why is professional guidance important?

Professional guidance from education mental health practitioners is important because teachers are not mental health therapists and should not be expected to take on this role.

What is the impact of mindfulness on children and young people?

Research has shown that mindfulness can improve emotional regulation and emotional clarity, as well as reduce perceived stress, in children and young people.