FoE Research Seminar: Dr Michelle Jayman: “We’re the experts, start listening to us”: Re-imagining mental wellbeing strategies in schools

10th May 4pm Dr Michelle Jayman: “We’re the experts, start listening to us”: Re-imagining mental wellbeing strategies in schools. 

Giving children a voice is purportedly a key tenet of education policy, practice and research. Nonetheless, ensuring that voice is meaningfully included and responded to in the spaces that children occupy remains a challenge. The pivotal role of schools in supporting pupils’ mental wellbeing is well-documented and educational settings are considered to be the ideal context for preventative approaches and early intervention.

While the new relationships and health curriculum in England puts schools firmly in the spotlight, school staff feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to manage this heavy responsibility amid growing concerns for their own wellbeing. This talk considers how child-to-child and child-to-adult collaboration, co-creation and social action can be harnessed to design authentic, child-centred approaches to support mental wellbeing which benefit the whole school community.