Wellbeing in Schools – advice for teachers

Wellbeing in schools is a bigger focus than ever with pupils returning to school after two extended periods learning online at home.

The past year has been challenging for everyone. But our children, in particular, have faced immeasurable change, uncertainty and anxiety.

The impact of the pandemic is undeniable. But the good news is that many schools are making wellbeing a big priority and there are lots of agencies and ideas out there to help support them in this vital process.

The impact of Covid on pupil wellbeing

In a recent survey by Stem4, nine in ten (88%) of teachers said that, over the last three months, they had seen a rise in the number of students with anxiety;

The bottom line…

More than half  of teachers said that their students’ mental health had suffered negative effects as a consequence of the pandemic. (source: Stem4)

“COVID-19 has created a perfect storm of unmet mental health need for children and young people, compromising schools’ and colleges’ ability to deliver on their whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing ”.
(Secondary school teacher, stem4 survey 2020)

The Impact on teachers

Teachers told the Stem4 survey that every child and young person with an untreated mental health condition requires extra help.

In addition, their parents need support to manage the demands of their child’s condition. This can certainly place a big strain on the entire family unit.

For example;

Wellbeing in Schools – where to begin

There are many ways to support your pupils and staff’s wellbeing – the first step is to do your research. You can get information, advice and support from many charities and organisations around the UK.

These are just a few of them;

Place2Be Charity provides mental health support in schools

Young Minds has a wealth of resources about mental health

If you’re worried about the immediate welfare of a student, contact Childline

Nip in the Bud has created a mental health training programme for teachers

Nature and wellbeing

Mind, the mental health charity, has a very interesting article that explores the benefits of nature on wellbeing. There are some proven methods to introduce nature into your learning environment.

For example, air purifying plants, open windows and even nature-themed Wall Art can improve mental health.

We worked with Putney High School to conduct a study into the effect of bringing nature into the classroom. The results were incredible, and showed the huge impact of nature on pupils and teachers’ wellbeing.

You can read about the study and view the results here.

putney high wall art for indpendent schools

“The school environment has a significant impact on a young person’s emotional welfare. For children’s wellbeing to thrive during school hours, teachers need the confidence and knowledge to nurture young people’s development. Equally, teachers need to be supported with their own mental health throughout their career.”

(Source: Mentalhealth.org)

Wellbeing through your walls

Using our experience of working with schools to develop their wellbeing support, here are a few ideas about how you could use your school’s walls to boost the impact of your provision;

These are just a few of the ways you can use Wall Art to improve wellbeing.

But, our designs are bespoke, so we can tailor your artwork to your unique wellbeing goals and preferences.

Get in touch

Contact us to find out more about Wall Art for schools. You can also book a free, Covid-safe site visit where we’ll assess your space and discuss your goals.

View our Case Studies or browse our online Ideas Book for more inspiration.

Ideas Book