There are government expectations that schools should support pupils to be resilient and mentally healthy. They should provide a safe environment that fosters trust and belonging and create a culture that supports mental health.

It is estimated that 1 in 4 children and young people will be affected by a mental health problem each year with 1 in 10 children in UK aged between 5 years and 16 years have a diagnosable mental health condition. Children with learning disabilities are over 6 times more likely to have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder than their peers who do not have learning disabilities (BOND 2014).

Public Health England in March 2015 comment on the influence that a child’s emotional health & wellbeing has on their cognitive development & learning, as well as their physical and social health and their mental wellbeing in adulthood. A whole school emotional wellbeing approach that moves beyond learning & teaching to cover all aspects of school life has been found to be effective in bringing about sustained health benefits.