Effective Mental Health Strategies for Schools

What if the key to improving student mental health was simply teaching them that stress and sadness are part of life, and not something to be feared or avoided?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on UCL

Recognising that stress and sadness are natural parts of life can be a game changer when it comes to building mental resilience in students – but how can schools put this into practice in ways that truly make a difference for their students?

A study led by UCL and the mental health charity Anna Freud suggests that schoolchildren who are taught to see stress and sadness as normal parts of life tend to have better mental health outcomes. The Education for Wellbeing trial, commissioned and funded by the Department for Education, ran from 2018 to 2024, involving 32,000 children across 500 schools in England.

Key Findings: What Works in Schools?

The research explored different interventions to enhance mental health awareness among children in Years 4, 5, 7 and 8. Three key approaches emerged:

Strategies for Safety and Wellbeing (SSW):

• Helps normalise feelings of stress and sadness
• Encourages children to seek help when needed
• Showed significant improvements in mental health literacy in both primary and secondary schools when implemented properly

Mindfulness Exercises:

• Help students manage stress and improve focus
• Effectiveness varied depending on age and background

Relaxation Techniques:

• Encouraged calmness and emotional regulation
• Required consistent implementation to be effective

The study reinforces that schools play a vital role in shaping the mental wellbeing of children and young people. However, for these interventions to be successful, consistency and frequency in delivery are crucial.

As school business leaders who oversee budgets, resources and strategic planning, you play a crucial role in ensuring that mental health initiatives are both effective and sustainable. The study offers a clear, evidence-based framework to guide your decision-making. It’s important to collaborate with senior leaders to ensure that these interventions are consistently delivered and embedded across the school.

Monitoring the impact of these initiatives through student feedback, attendance data and wellbeing surveys will help track progress. Additionally, ensuring that teachers and support staff are properly trained and equipped with the necessary resources to effectively deliver these strategies is vital. Finally, integrating these initiatives into existing school wellbeing and safeguarding policies will help create a cohesive, whole-school approach to mental health.

By considering these findings, school business leaders can help make lasting improvements to student wellbeing while making smart, cost-effective decisions. The study shows that supporting mental health doesn’t always mean launching complex new programmes – it’s often about building on what schools are already doing, with a bit more structure and clear guidance.