Ensure that all pupils know where and how to access help and support at school

Along with reducing stigma around reporting concerns and signposting to online information and support, ensuring that all pupils know where to go for help and feel comfortable to do so is fundamental to supporting pupil wellbeing. 

Even the youngest pupils should know where and who they can go to with worries. Sometimes they may want to talk to someone who isn’t their class teacher, so remind them that they can always talk to a TA or any other member of staff. Older students in particular should be aware of sources of confidential advice about their physical and mental health including sexual health, eating disorders, anxiety and depression and other concerns. 

Since pupils may not always have access to particular members of staff, repeat messages that all staff want to hear about worries and are available to help.   

As well as using the school website, post information in a wide variety of places around the school. Include photos of key staff and details of when they are available and who students can approach about particular concerns.   

As with information about external organisations, ensure that information about who to contact is displayed widely around the school in classrooms, corridors, common rooms and outdoor areas and is also included in handbooks and homework planners and regularly referenced in assemblies and lessons. Include the pastoral team but also other relevant adults or peer supporters and information about pupil/peer supporters. 

Top tips 

• Involve younger pupils in developing posters or other visual representations of where they can go for support.  
• As far as possible, ensure that pupils and families are familiar with all school staff – including those they do not come into contact with on a regular basis. Introduce them in assemblies and post photos and mini job descriptions on the website and in appropriate places around your school. 

To further encourage reporting and self-referrals, ensure that all pupils and their parents are aware of the range of specialist support available from your school’s pastoral provision and specialist SEND team. As well as the universal offer, this includes provision for pupils with SEND, disabilities and particular medical conditions.  

Raise awareness about the role and support available from the pastoral team at assemblies, school events, via posters, on the website, etc. 

The team could also visit individual classes to talk about what they can offer and answer students’ questions. At the end of the session, hand out cards or stickers with names, contact details, etc. 

Depending on the age of pupils, it may also be appropriate to provide summaries of referral processes, information sharing protocols, etc. This provides reassurance and increases understanding and further promotes your school’s commitment to supporting the wellbeing of all students. 

Top tips  

• Produce child- and family-friendly guidance about what support is available in school, how consent is sought and obtained, information recorded and shared, etc. 
• Ensure policies relating to pastoral support are clearly understandable by all and where appropriate, available in child- and young person-friendly formats – and are accessible to children and parents with disabilities. 

Pupils and parents should be able to report concerns in a variety of ways. Many will be happy to make an initial approach via a class teacher or member of admin staff who should refer them directly to the relevant member(s) of staff. Where this is not done in person, the member of staff who was first contacted should check that the referral has been followed up within a specified amount of time. Ensure that pupils and families are not left ‘hanging’ after reporting concerns but are regularly updated at all stages. 

Set up reporting mechanisms via web links, dedicated emails or phone numbers, etc. Publicise them widely and regularly check that pupils, in particular, are confident about where to go for help of all kinds. 

Some may prefer to report their concerns privately, so employ strategies like worry monsters or boxes. Provide a mixture of these in classrooms and elsewhere including some in areas where pupils can use them unobserved. Check them several times a day and respond within agreed timescales. Some schools also use systems such as notes placed in workbooks. Again, ensure that these are checked and responded to quickly. 

Some pupils, particularly younger ones, may find it easier to let someone know they are unhappy by, for example, placing a ‘sad face’ sticker on their photo on a class display or even moving to a particular area in the classroom or playground where they know that staff will then check in with them. 

Staff should also be alert to implicit messages in comments or even students’ written work.  Staff straining should address this as appropriate. 

Top tips 

• Be clear about how quickly requests will be responded to. You could encourage direct messaging via social media – ensure that pupils and parents know when channels are monitored and by whom. 
• Develop a protocol for responding to anonymous reports – such concerns may be discussed in circle time, assemblies, etc and agree with staff how they should attempt to establish a child’s identity if they have concerns that they feel need addressing in person. This may include reiterating systems for seeking help or asking them to contact a member of staff directly in a particular way. 
• Provide leaflets and other materials detailing how children can seek in-school and external support (where appropriate).  
• Teachers and others can be available in their classrooms at set times before or after school or during breaks for pupils to report concerns. 
• Where pupils are involved as peer supporters, etc., publicise their availability and area of responsibility as you do for staff. Ensure they are clear about who to refer problems on to, etc. 

The best way to find out how pupils feel about the support available for their wellbeing is to ask them. It is important to do this regularly (at least once a year and ideally, every term) but also to be alert to changes in needs or cohorts. ‘Check in’ as necessary if you have concerns that your provision is not meeting all the needs of pupils. 

The easiest way to do this may be to survey pupils. This also allows you to make comparisons between different ages and groups of students and helps you to monitor the impact of provision and in particular, any changes.   

You could also consult pupils via classroom discussions, your pupil wellbeing group or other pupil voice mechanisms. 

Ensure that any findings – and your responses to them – are clearly relayed to all pupils. Responding directly to their views will ensure that they feel listened to and that your school is responsive to their needs. 

Top tips 

• Some children – for example, younger ones or those with SEND – may need additional support to respond to surveys or otherwise share their views. It may be easier for a member of staff to lead a small group discussion, for example. 
• You may find it useful to conduct separate, shorter consultations about different aspects of provision – for example, reporting mechanisms or particular interventions – especially with younger or SEND children. 
• Make the best use of consultations by embedding them into school routines and ensure that they are properly evaluated. Share collated and analysed responses with relevant pupils and staff and seek their input on possible changes to provision. 

Further resources 

• Find out more about nurture groups.  
• Access more information about nurture groups staff training. 
• Learn about the Boxall Profile (a tool for assessing social and emotional difficulties). 
• Share this booklet about nurture groups with colleagues and parents. 
• Read this case study about developing a nurture group for secondary students. 
• The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is one way schools can measure children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. 
• Check out this toolkit which provides a useful introduction to a range of evidence-based interventions that can be used to support children with SEMH needs. 
• Find local ELSA training. 
• Look at the ELSA resources for primary and secondary schools. 
• Access the TES zones of regulation resources.  
• Use the Twinkl resources for managing emotions.  

As well as providing a variety of reporting mechanisms, ensure that face to face support is available at all times. Some schools have established a wellbeing hub or similar so that pupils are always clear about where they can go for help. This may be staffed by a variety of people with a range of skills but there should always be staff available to talk to young people throughout the school day. To further encourage its use, the hub could also offer a range of wellbeing-related sessions available to all students. 

Publish clear protocols about when pupils can visit the hub for support. For example, at any point during lunch or break times and with the permission of a teacher during lessons. Schools may also agree that some or all pupils can attend at any time without prior permission, should they need to.   

Make sure provision is adequately signposted and attractive and that no stigma is attached to visiting or being referred to the hub. Publicise it widely as an asset of which the school is proud and consult with pupils about the provision offered. 

Think carefully about location so that it is easily accessible, especially in larger schools. Investigate what is involved in providing calm spaces for your pupils to access. 

Top tips 

• Ideally, identify a space or spaces that are large and flexible enough to provide opportunities for a quiet chat but can also offer regular wellbeing inputs that pupils can attend as and when they wish.   
• Try to provide a bright, airy space with relaxed and comfortable furnishings, that includes small semi or fully private spaces for 1-2-1s. 
• You could also use it as a venue for wellbeing-related activities for adults and families outside of school hours. Use activities as a means of ensuring that everyone visits the hub from time to time and is familiar with the facilities it offers.  
• Have books and other resources about wellbeing and mental health available and toys and activities that encourage mindfulness and relieve stress. Aim to establish the hub as a ‘one stop shop’ for any support that pupils may need. 
• In smaller schools, where it is not always possible to staff provision all day, ensure ‘drop in’ times are well known. Some schools offer an ‘open door’ policy with certain staff as an alternative. If this is the case, make sure that this service is always available at the times specified.  

There is a strong link between mental health and bullying. Young people who have experienced bullying are more likely to face mental health issues – and those who have mental health issues are also more likely to be bullied. Children who have been bullied also often find it harder to engage with learning or form positive relationships. 

Schools should be sure that all pupils feel able to report and challenge bullying. Ensure that all students, staff and parents understand what constitutes bullying and the damage it can cause to both victims and perpetrators. 

Approaches should be whole-school and be: 

• informed by pupil voice 
• underpinned by clear policies which are understood by all 
• reflected in the school’s values and ethos 
• embedded in the curriculum 
• involve clear prevention and responses strategies 
• monitored and reviewed on a regular basis. 

Top tips 

• Never tell pupils to ‘ignore’ bullying. This is particularly true of bullying based on a person’s identity – children and young people should never feel it is their ‘fault’ or an inevitable consequence of who they are. Ensure your pupils understand the tenets of  equality and diversity. 
• Aim to create a ‘telling’ culture and ensure that bullying behaviour is always quickly addressed. Make sure all pupils know how to report bullying – either of themselves or someone else. 
• Involve pupils in discussions about how the school addresses bullying – as well as things like identifying bullying ‘hotspots’. 
• Use peer support schemes as part of your strategy for preventing and responding to bullying.  
• Ensure that your staff model positive and respectful behaviour at all times. 
• Encourage restorative approaches and undertake work to build empathy. Talk about kindness and how we can help others to feel better when they are upset. Encourage assertiveness and use restorative approaches.  

Further resources 

More information on all of the above as well as resources and information about training can be found on the Anti-bullying Alliance website.