Schools deemed to be ensuring the wellbeing of staff and pupils will be eligible for a new mental health quality kitemark.

The scheme, run by the first university centre for mental health in schools, already has 20 participating schools. The centre, which is run by the school of education at Leeds Beckett University, says another 300 schools have expressed interest.

Participating schools are first called on to complete a self-assessment, examining the extent to which they are taking a whole-school approach to mental health.

After this, they will be paired with associates from the centre, who will help them to ensure that they meet a series of criteria:

1.      Leadership and strategy: is an understanding of mental health embedded there?

2.      Organisational structure: how it affects staff mental health

3.      Organisational structure: how it affects pupils’ mental health

4.      Support for staff: are proactive steps taken - such as flexible working hours and a reduction in workload - to ensure staff wellbeing?

5.      Support for pupils: how much does the school do to promote wellbeing among pupils? How well are staff trained to spot signs of mental ill health in pupils?

6.      Staff professional development and learning: to what extent do staff have access to training on mental-health issues?

7.      Working with parents and carers

8.      Working with external services: how effective is the school’s engagement with external services? How integrated are these services into the working of the school?

‘Not a sticking plaster’

Damien Paige, dean of the Leeds Beckett School of Education, said that he hoped schools would apply for the kitemark as a way of showing that they were taking issues of mental health and wellbeing seriously.

“It’s becoming more and more important to parents, when they’re choosing where to send their children, that schools are taking real action around this,” he said.

“It’s not a sticking plaster. We don’t want someone to do it for the award. We want real involvement of parents, teachers and outside agencies.”

In particular, he added, he hoped that pupils would be encouraged to speak openly about mental health.

“Young people talk about physical health,” he said. “But not mental health. We’re trying to reduce that stigma.

“But you can’t just focus on pupil wellbeing or staff wellbeing. You have to address both. They complement each other.”

Professor Paige estimates that the award will take approximately a year to complete. Schools will be awarded either bronze, silver or gold levels, with silver- and gold-level schools invited to offer advice to other schools.

The centre will also hold an annual mental health and wellbeing in schools day, to highlight the mental health needs specific to schools, and provide advice for staff and pupils. The first date is set for 16 March 2018.

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