VIEWS & OPINION


Mental health: spotting the signs sooner Comment by TOM PRESTON, Commercial Director at Thrive


Classroom professionals are firmly in the frontline of a number of social challenges today. Children’s mental health and wellbeing is perhaps the most pressing of all. According to The Children’s Society, five children in a classroom of 30 are likely to have a mental health problem.


Teachers and TAs know when something isn’t obviously right, but it always helps to refresh and sharpen your awareness of the early warning signs of poor mental health so that you are always in a position to help sooner rather than later. Thrive’s new advice on spotting the early warning signs of poor mental health in children and young people was launched during Children’s Mental Health Week at the beginning of February and is aimed at professionals working with children and young people in a range of settings.


The publication includes a list of behaviours and signals to look for and draws directly from Thrive’s considerable experience working with educational professionals to support children’s mental health and wellbeing.


What signs of poor mental health should you as an education professional look for? There are six key areas: • Emotional. Children and young people may struggle to express their feelings openly. Behaviour is a form of communication so watch for signs, including frequent mood swings, prolonged sadness or apathy, increased sensitivity to criticism or rejection and dysregulation – difficulty managing emotional responses, leading to meltdowns, crying spells, or difficulty calming down after becoming upset. • Behavioural. Changes in behaviour can often provide visible clues about underlying mental health struggles. Some signs to look for include social withdrawal, increased defiance or oppositional behaviour, risk-taking such as reckless play, substance misuse, or


unsafe online behaviour, avoidance behaviours such as avoiding school, activities, or responsibilities, becoming overly rigid about tasks or demonstrating an extreme fear of making mistakes and repetitive habits like nail-biting, hair-pulling, or pacing. • Physical. Frequent unexplained headaches, stomach aches, or fatigue, especially when they coincide with stressors like school or social events, can be warning signs. Changes in eating habits can be another indicator, as well as tense body language such as hunched posture or clenched fists.


• Academic and social. Including a sudden drop in grades or struggle with tasks they previously managed well, avoiding school or extracurricular activities and difficulty maintaining friendships. • Language. What children and young people say can reveal underlying struggles. Listen for negative self-talk, including statements like “I’m stupid” or “I can’t do anything right.” Any mention of self-injury or wanting to harm themselves must be taken seriously and addressed immediately.


• Routines and habits. These can often signal a shift in emotional wellbeing. Signs include spending excessive time online, neglecting hygiene or appearance, alternating between hyperactivity and extreme fatigue, and unexplained lateness or absences.


We recommend a range of strategies for addressing those early warning signs. These include creating a safe space, approaching the child or young person with compassion and without judgement and reassuring them that it’s okay to talk about their feelings. And of course, if concerns persist or are severe, always consult with a mental health professional for guidance.


While early intervention can help children and young people develop resilience and coping strategies to thrive emotionally and mentally, the creation of trusting relationships and a safe environment for children and young people underpins it all. By focusing on these foundational principles we can help our pupils to feel empowered, supported and motivated to engage with their school community.


It’s time for real change: it’s time to talk English Comment by KATY LEWIS, Head of English, MFL and Creative Curriculum, and Qualification Strategy at Pearson Edexcel


If, like me, you’ve been following recent trends in English, you may be disheartened by the sharp drop in A level entries – a fall of over a third in just over a decade – or by the continued decline in numbers of students studying English at undergraduate level.


We all know what English can do at its best: the incredible power it has to unlock knowledge, nurture empathy and value diverse voices, as well as embedding communication skills for


life. My relationship with English took me out of my small town - at first just metaphorically, but eventually literally - and gave me a way to be somebody that I didn’t originally know that I could be. Yet among the reasons behind the current downward trajectory of English uptake after GCSE, one possible explanation stands out: that today’s English curriculum no longer inspires and engages students. Which brings us to the burning question: ‘What can we do to turn this around?’


At Pearson, we believe it’s time to revive English and to make it work in every classroom, for every learner. From our extensive work with educators, sector experts, and learners, we know that the answer lies in committing to a curriculum that is appealing and relevant to all young people, wherever they have come from and wherever they plan to go next. We want an English that equips each student to succeed and thrive both in school and beyond, whether it’s on a pathway that’s vocational or academic. An English that inspires real passion, genuine excitement and transformational, long-term engagement in classrooms right across the UK.


For us, updating the English curriculum means finding new ways to reflect the modern, diverse lives around us. It means introducing learners


February 2025


to an expansive range of authors and texts, embracing the contemporary and the canonical. It also means teaching students how to approach and analyse content in an era of increased disinformation, unreliable media and AI-generated material.


At the same time, it means rethinking our approaches to English qualifications: considering how awarding organisations like ours might better assess the core skills of listening, speaking, drafting, editing and creativity; how we can collectively move away from the restrictive nature of compulsory terminal written examinations, and towards other modes of assessment such as oral, portfolio and dynamic on-screen options. We’ve been working closely with educators and learners to start shaping this work.


We also believe there’s an urgent need to rethink GCSE English qualifications for post-16 learners, so that they are able to demonstrate their literacy skills and make progress in their career and life goals. Post- 16 English must have the same currency, and open the same doors, but flexible assessment models could improve student experience and reduce the exam burden on colleges. There is even an opportunity to explore more transformational options – such as criterion referencing, on demand assessment and a greater use of technology.


We cannot achieve lasting progress alone. This is a conversation that we’re opening up to the whole sector because we believe it is a conversation that impacts us all.


That’s why, this year, we are taking proactive steps to pinpoint where change in English is needed now, through a bold new series of English- focused discussions and activities including expert-led content and resources, interactive forums and regional roundtable discussions. We’re inviting all young people, teachers, leaders, families, English enthusiasts and communities to take part. It’s time we connect to share our experiences, challenges and solutions. It’s time for us to talk English.


www.education-today.co.uk 29


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