School wellbeing advisory group meets for the first time

The recently formed mental health and wellbeing advisory group has met for the first time.

It is made up of representatives from mental health and wellbeing organisations as well as schools and colleges.

During the meeting the CEO of the charity Mind, Paul Farmer, underlined the importance of placing teachers’ wellbeing at the heart of schools’ and colleges’ decision-making – setting out that teachers and school staff must be listened to in order bring about “real change” to staffroom culture

Schools Minister Nick Gibb, Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton and representatives from a wide range of organisations – including the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, Education Support Partnership, and What Works Wellbeing Centre – attended the first meeting to discuss the mental health and wellbeing of school and college staff

The Education Secretary announced the creation of the mental health and wellbeing advisory group at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) annual conference in Birmingham as part of a strategy to recruit and retain more schoolteachers.

The strategy included an ambition to transform the day-to-day experiences of teachers, and laid out plans to create a positive, supportive culture in schools.

Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind, said: "Only by ensuring teachers are well supported can we expect them to thrive and deliver the best outcomes for everyone – pupils, parents and the colleagues they work alongside.

"This is an important issue that needs significant attention from government. In order to bring about real change, the views and opinions of teachers and school staff need to be listened to."