A range of practical advice for supporting the wellbeing and good mental health of children and young people in schools is on offer at the Sixth National Pupil Mental Health Conference.

Organised by SecEd and Headteacher Update, the online event is taking place on September 29 and 30 from 2pm to 6pm each day and the focus is on effective practice in schools to ensure and support pupil wellbeing.

There are 11 practical, advice-driven sessions being delivered across the two days, with a further four workshops available to download on an on-demand basis after the event.

In fact, all 15 sessions will be available to delegates to access and download for three months after the conference takes place.

There will be four keynote sessions at the conference aimed at both secondary and primary colleagues and touching upon themes of spotting the signs of mental health issues, safeguarding, staff wellbeing and its links to pupil wellbeing, as well as general teaching tips:

  • Common mental health conditions, spotting the signs & effective interventions: Practical tips for school staff – led by mental health and wellbeing guru Dr Pooky Knightsmith, who writes regularly for the magazines.
  • The links between safeguarding and mental health: What should we be doing to keep children safe? – led by safeguarding expert Elizabeth Rose, another regular contributor to the magazines.
  • Whole-school wellbeing: Protecting and promoting staff wellbeing – led by Frederika Roberts, a wellbeing expert and author.
  • Connection not disconnection: Teaching techniques to support good mental health – led by Shahana Knight, a childhood trauma specialist.

Other sessions at the event include eight practical phase-specific and cross-phase workshops, touching on themes including the Designated Mental Health Lead, teaching emotional literacy, whole-school approaches, quality RSHE, and tackling sexual harassment and abuse.

  • Cross-Phase: Teaching emotional literacy in your school
  • Cross-Phase:: Whole-school approaches to mental health: Core principles of effective practice
  • Cross-Phase: Supporting young people with traumatic experiences in schools
  • Primary: Sustaining high quality relationships and sex education
  • Primary: Senior mental health lead: Embedding the role in your primary school
  • Primary: Coaching circles and emotional wellbeing in the primary classroom
  • Primary: Can you teach wellbeing?
  • Secondary: The Designated Mental Health Lead checklist: A practical guide to developing the role & embedding a whole school approach
  • Secondary: Sexual harassment & abuse in schools: Supporting your students
  • Secondary: Case Study: Effective whole-school mental health work at Sidmouth College
  • Secondary: Enhanced healthy schools status: A whole-school focus on emotional health and wellbeing

The event features networking space, full chat function via the online platform, Q&As, and all presentations will be available to download via the conference platform. Attendance at the two-day event costs £125 (plus VAT) and includes access to all 16 sessions on demand for three months after the conference.