Ways to Tackle Mental Health in School: Building a Whole-School Approach to Wellbeing

Why is mental health support so important in schools?

Mental health has become one of the most important priorities facing schools today. School leaders, teachers and pastoral teams are supporting pupils through a wide range of challenges, from anxiety and low mood to attendance concerns, emotional regulation difficulties and the wider pressures many young people face both inside and outside school.

The good news is that schools are not tackling these challenges alone. The Department for Education continues to expand Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), with around 60% of pupils expected to be covered by an MHST by April 2026. Alongside this, schools have access to increasing levels of guidance, training and support designed to strengthen wellbeing and create healthier school communities.

However, while specialist services remain important, the strongest mental health outcomes are often built through everyday culture. Across the schools supported by GLS, the most effective approaches are rarely based on a single programme or awareness campaign. Instead, wellbeing is embedded into relationships, learning environments, leadership decisions and daily school life.

Children and young people spend a significant proportion of their lives in school. As a result, schools play a vital role in promoting positive mental health, identifying concerns early and creating environments where pupils feel safe, supported and able to thrive.

A strong approach to mental health can help:

• Improve pupil wellbeing
• Support attendance
• Strengthen relationships
• Improve behaviour and engagement
• Increase resilience
• Support academic achievement
• Create a more positive school culture

Importantly, these benefits extend beyond pupils. Staff wellbeing is equally important. The Education Support Teacher Wellbeing Index 2025 continues to highlight the significant pressures faced by education staff and the importance of creating healthy school cultures that support both pupils and adults. Schools are communities, and the wellbeing of one group inevitably influences the wellbeing of another.

What does a whole-school approach to mental health look like?

Government guidance consistently highlights the importance of a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. Rather than relying on isolated interventions, successful schools embed wellbeing throughout everyday practice.

This often includes:

• Strong pastoral systems
• Positive relationships
• Staff training
• Early identification of concerns
• Family engagement
• Inclusive school cultures
• Access to specialist support

Mental health becomes everyone's responsibility rather than the responsibility of a single individual or department. The schools that make the greatest progress are often those that treat wellbeing as a strategic priority rather than an additional initiative. This aligns closely with the principles outlined within the Department for Education's Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which encourages schools to develop supportive cultures where wellbeing is considered across leadership, workload and professional relationships.

Why do conversations about mental health matter?

One of the simplest and most effective ways to support wellbeing is to normalise conversations about mental health. Pupils should understand that emotions, worries and challenges are a normal part of life and that support is available when needed.

Schools can encourage this by:

• Including wellbeing topics in lessons
• Using books and stories to explore emotions
• Discussing mental health in assemblies
• Supporting awareness campaigns
• Creating opportunities for reflection and discussion

When wellbeing is discussed openly, stigma reduces and pupils are more likely to seek support before challenges escalate.

How can schools move beyond awareness days?

Awareness campaigns remain valuable. Events such as Children's Mental Health Week, Mental Health Awareness Week, World Mental Health Day, Time to Talk Day, and Anti-Bullying Week can all provide useful opportunities to start conversations. However, awareness alone rarely creates lasting change.

The schools making the greatest impact use these events as part of a wider wellbeing strategy rather than treating them as standalone activities. Wellbeing should remain visible throughout the entire academic year. Across the schools GLS works with, the most successful approaches often involve weaving wellbeing into assemblies, curriculum planning, pastoral support and everyday school culture rather than concentrating activity into a handful of awareness weeks.

Why is belonging so important?

Research consistently highlights the importance of connection and belonging. Pupils who feel connected to their school community are often better placed to manage challenges, seek support and develop resilience.

Schools can strengthen belonging through:

• Peer mentoring
• Buddy systems
• Mixed-age activities
• Clubs and enrichment opportunities
• Collaborative learning
• Community projects

Strong relationships remain one of the most powerful protective factors available to schools. The Education Support Teacher Wellbeing Index also highlights the importance of positive relationships and supportive cultures for staff wellbeing, reinforcing the idea that belonging matters across the entire school community, not just for pupils.

How does physical activity support mental health?

Physical activity supports both physical and emotional wellbeing. Schools can encourage positive mental health through:

• Active play
• Sports participation
• Outdoor learning
• Movement breaks
• Walking initiatives
• Enrichment activities

Even relatively small increases in physical activity can have positive effects on mood, concentration and resilience. This is one reason many schools are increasingly viewing outdoor environments and active learning spaces as important resources rather than simply curriculum spaces.

Why should schools teach emotional literacy?

Mental health support is not only about responding to difficulties. It is also about helping pupils develop the skills needed to understand and manage emotions. Many schools are placing greater emphasis on:

• Emotional literacy
• Self-regulation
• Problem-solving
• Positive relationships
• Coping strategies
• Resilience-building approaches

These skills can support pupils throughout their education and beyond. Successful schools increasingly recognise that resilience is not something pupils either have or do not have. It is something that can be developed through supportive relationships, guided practice and opportunities to reflect on experiences.

How can learning environments support wellbeing?

The physical environment can have a significant influence on how pupils feel. Increasingly, schools are reviewing whether their spaces support calmness, inclusion, accessibility, positive social interaction, and emotional regulation.

This may include:

• Quiet spaces
• Reflection areas
• Reading corners
• Outdoor learning environments
• Sensory considerations
• Flexible learning spaces

Through conversations with schools, GLS increasingly sees learning environments being viewed as part of a wider wellbeing strategy rather than simply a facilities consideration. Small changes to classroom organisation, access to resources and dedicated wellbeing spaces can often have a meaningful impact on pupil experience.

Why does staff wellbeing matter?

Supporting pupil wellbeing starts with supporting the adults around them. Teachers, teaching assistants and school leaders cannot effectively support others if they are struggling themselves. The Department for Education's Education Staff Wellbeing Charter and Workload Reduction Toolkit both recognise the importance of manageable workloads, supportive leadership and creating cultures where staff wellbeing is actively protected rather than treated as an afterthought.

Schools increasingly recognise the importance of:

• Workload management
• Professional support
• Wellbeing initiatives
• Opportunities for connection
• Healthy workplace cultures
• Clear boundaries

The healthiest schools are often those where wellbeing is viewed as a whole-community responsibility rather than a staff issue or pupil issue in isolation.

While Mental Health Support Teams and specialist services play an important role, the everyday experiences pupils have within school remain incredibly powerful. Every conversation. Every positive relationship. Every opportunity to listen. Every effort to create belonging. These small moments often make the biggest difference.

How does GLS support schools in creating positive learning environments?

Wellbeing is influenced by many factors, including relationships, leadership, routines and the environments in which children learn. Through GLS, schools can access classroom resources, learning environments and practical resources that help create spaces where pupils feel supported, engaged and ready to learn.

Increasingly, schools are recognising that wellbeing and learning are closely connected. When pupils feel safe, valued and included, they are better placed to participate, achieve and thrive.

Creating a mentally healthy school community is not about finding a single solution. It is about making hundreds of small decisions that collectively help pupils and staff flourish. At GLS, we understand that the right learning environment, appropriate resources and thoughtful school systems can all play a role in supporting wellbeing. Our focus is helping schools create practical, sustainable environments where children and staff can do their best work every day.