Mental Health Standards for Schools.

The focus in the new Code of Practice ( Special Educational Needs ), on ‘ Social, Mental and Emotional Health’, will bring a new challenge to schools , but a timely one. At long last teachers have a mandate to do something constructive in the area of Mental Health, and create a curriculum and pedagogy around Emotional Well Being.

Even the Office of National statistics has reported that for every 5 children on a school’s SEN Register, 3 will experience some mental health issue. In the area of Autism it is 6 in every 10 pupils.

With this clear mandate from the DfE we can move forward to help our pupils and students with Mental Health needs. The new Mental Health Standards, published by Butterfly Print,(butterflyprint.co.uk), offers excellent guidance on how to do this is a coherent and systemic way.This company also produces Mental Health journals which would work really well in giving focussed support to children with these needs in schools settings.

I highly recommend these materials.