Adopting a whole-school approach to supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing requires a coordinated approach across all staff within an education setting. While there is a vast array of guidance and training available for mental health leads in schools, there is a lack of practical guidance available for class teachers to assist them in supporting young people’s mental health.

This seminar will share a new toolkit from the Anna Freud Centre and EIF that provides guidance on practical steps teachers and other adults in secondary schools can take to promote and support mental health, through their everyday interactions with students.

The toolkit has been informed by the latest evidence on what works. It was designed with both teachers and young people to ensure that it reflects the reality of school life and the wider social context.

The seminar will focus on the wide range of effective strategies to improve students’ mental health and wellbeing through everyday practices in the classroom.

Speakers from the Anna Freud Centre will be joined by expert panellists from EIF, including former director of evidence Dr Aleisha Clarke, senior research officer Miriam Sorgenfrei, and associate Jean Gross CBE, as well as Rahi Popat, pastoral support officer at Keyham Lodge School.