Children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing are fundamental to their success in school and in later life. Full of practical ideas and insights, this interactive guide is designed to empower staff to make a difference to children’s wellbeing and behaviour by using simple and effective strategies that can easily be implemented throughout the school day.

Taking staff on a journey through the school year, the book identifies issues that are relevant to children at certain times of the year, along with practical strategies to address those challenges. Each half term includes space for self-reflection and notes, with key questions to encourage practice evaluation. Based on the author’s extensive experience and conversations with staff working in primary schools, this book:

• Provides school staff with an easy-to-use, accessible resource that promotes their understanding of children’s emotional wellbeing and behaviour
• Introduces reflective language, which is fast, effective and easy to implement with proven results in developing better understanding of children’s wellbeing and increasing children’s emotional vocabulary in schools
• Explores the impact of a child’s home life on their behaviour in school
• Encourages staff to build up a personalised pool of resources to refer back to and use
• Includes ideas for building insight into each child and collecting evidence of strategies which help with Education and Health Care Plans, review meetings, pupil progress and behaviour monitoring meetings with parents/other school staff

Developing staff understanding and confidence in responding to and meeting children’s emotional and mental health needs, this invaluable guide will equip teaching assistants, teachers, special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) and senior staff to support children in school and empower them to make a difference to children’s wellbeing and behaviour.