The findings are published as three-quarters of schools in the UK celebrate Anti-Bullying Week reaching over 7 million children and young people. The campaign urges children across the country to reach out to friends and trusted adults if bullying is taking place.

The research finds that both those being bullied and the children who bully others have a bad experience of school life, disliking going to school, feeling less safe and having poorer relationships with their teachers.

The research underlines the lasting effects of being bullied, with children frequently on the receiving end having significantly poorer wellbeing than those who do not report being bullied at all. Interestingly, those who frequently bully others have the poorest wellbeing whether they bullied online or face-to-face.

Anti-Bullying Week takes place from the 14 to 18 November and has the theme Reach Out. The week will kick off with Odd Socks Day on Monday 14th November, where adults and children wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique.

This research is released along with an open letter from the Anti-Bullying Alliance consortium of over 200 organisations calling on all adults to consider the example they are setting to children and young people about how we treat each other.

Whilst there are many examples of kindness and respect that we can share with young people to showcase how we should treat each other, far too often children see negative discord amongst adults that influences their behaviour. We believe it imperative we consider the impact our words and actions have on the children and young people who are learning from us.

The campaign is supported by many celebrities and influencers, including Anti-Bullying Alliance patron and children’s television star Andy Day who with his band Andy and the Odd Socks is releasing the single ‘Calling Out’, bringing alive playgrounds, classrooms and assemblies across the UK.

Martha Evans, Director of the Anti-Bullying Alliance said: “Children and young people need to know there is help out there if they are being bullied or are witnessing bullying. It starts by reaching out to someone you trust if you need to talk. Reaching out to someone you know is being bullied. Reaching out to consider a new approach.

“And it doesn’t stop with young people. From teachers to parents and influencers to politicians, we all have a responsibility to help each other reach out.

“That is why members of the Anti-Bullying Alliance have written an open letter calling on adults to consider the example they are setting to young people about how we treat each other.

“Whether it is during a Twitter spat, arguments in parliament, a relationship breakdown on the latest reality TV show, or a row on the street; children are too often watching. They are listening and they are learning from us.”

Andy Day, patron of the Anti-Bullying Alliance and CBeebies presenter said of Odd Socks Day: “We are over the moon to be working with the Anti-Bullying Alliance again on such an incredibly important issue. Encouraging acceptance of individuality at an early age can help prevent bullying later in life and raising awareness on the issue of bullying is very important to us. Odd Socks Day is a fun day where we can do all of this! We would LOVE for your school to get on board!!”

For more information, please see: https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week/anti-bullying-week-2022-reach-out

Released today as an academic working paper, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the study explores work-related anxiety of more than 13,000 classroom teachers and headteachers in England at 75 points between October 2019 and July 2022.

It reveals that prior to the pandemic, one in four (25%) headteachers were highly anxious about work – only slightly above the level of class teachers. However, during the pandemic, around 35% of headteachers reported that they regularly had high levels of anxiety about work during term time, which was consistently higher than for class teachers. This reached a peak in January 2021, when almost two-thirds (65%) of headteachers in England felt highly anxious about work, compared to 42% of class teachers.

With the study also revealing that the share of deputy and assistant heads who say they want to become a head teacher one day has fallen from 56% pre-pandemic to 48% post-pandemic, the authors have raised concerns around the declining levels of those seeking headship.

Study co-author Professor John Jerrim (UCL Social Research Institute based at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society) said: “The COVID-19 pandemic led to one of the biggest shocks the world has ever seen – with schools closed and disruption to working patterns and conditions. Coupled with ever-changing government policy around schools, it’s unsurprising that the pandemic had a major impact on staff across the sector.

“However, the differences in levels of anxiety are quite shocking, and the additional strain that was put on headteachers in particular is clear. It’s vital that the government now reflect on guidance and support given to school leaders during difficult periods, with greater attention paid on ensuring that schools can recruit and retain the best headteachers in future.”

The study also highlights the substantial differences in working hours across the pandemic and between teacher roles. During the first lockdown in March 2020, class teachers worked around 25-30 hours per week, compared to a pre-lockdown norm of closer to 45 hours. Headteachers reported that they were regularly working around 20 hours more per week during the first lockdown than class teachers, and around 10 hours more per week during the rest of the pandemic.

The researchers found that during the first wave, delivering direct instruction on-site rather than at home, providing live lessons and working longer hours were all associated with higher levels of work-related anxiety.

However, the paper also highlighted that levels of anxiety were not uniform across different groups of teachers in the study, with differences seen across gender and parental status. Before the pandemic, male and female teachers with young children (under five) had reasonably similar levels of anxiety about work, with around one in five experiencing high levels of work-related anxiety. But, at the height of the pandemic in winter 2020, around a third of female teachers with a child under five felt highly anxious about work, compared to a fifth of males.

Study co-author Dr Sam Sims (UCL Centre for Education Policy & Equalising Opportunities) said: “What’s clear from this study is that the effects of the pandemic have been felt unevenly across the school workforce. Prior to the pandemic, women already had higher work-related anxiety than men. We found that amongst teachers with pre-school children, it was mainly women who became more anxious about work.”

Dr Emily Tanner (Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation) said: “By tracking anxiety levels, this research provides an important new perspective on the immediate and longer-term impact of Covid on the school workforce. The heightened pressures faced by school leaders and the declining appetite for headship among deputy and assistant heads highlight the need for better support to shore up sustainable leadership.”

To establish their findings, the researchers collected data using an app called ‘Teacher Tapp’. Respondents were asked to rate their anxiety about work on a given day from 0 (‘not at all anxious’) to 10 (‘completely anxious’), with ratings given at the same time and day each week.

Respondents were also asked questions about their work environments, such as the learning activities they had done that day, number of hours worked, and how often during the pandemic they were on site (at school).

The researchers then used statistical modelling to explore differences in average work-related anxiety scores before and during the pandemic between groups with different characteristics (gender, job role, parental status (and age of children), and school characteristics), as well as whether teachers were working from home or on site.

The researchers note the limitations of their study, highlighting that the Teacher Tapp panel is a self-selecting sample rather than a random draw from the teacher population. They also note that their analysis focuses specifically on the work-related anxiety of teachers and does not include other related aspects of mental health such as depression and stress, which may have been impacted in subtly different ways.

A Northampton Principal has invested in mental health training for over 40 teaching staff in an attempt to build an ‘army of fully trained coaches’ to support the entire school community. 

A study of almost 11,000 students in 52 mainstream state secondary schools across the UK has found that despite the pandemic adversely affecting the vast majority of young people, far fewer pupils with special needs can be classed as “at social and emotional risk” now, compared with before the pandemic.

This bucks the trend for young people overall, tens of thousands of whom have experienced a serious decline in their wellbeing since the end of lockdown.

The study, by young people’s mental health experts STEER Education, found that before the pandemic, an estimated one in five students with special needs could be classed as “at social and emotional risk”.

Between the end of the pandemic and this July, this fell to just under one in six. This means that across the country, the equivalent of more than 8,000 students are no longer “at social and emotional risk”. The study counted students with special needs as those with an Education and Health Care Plan – a guarantee of statutory support.

In sharp contrast, the findings show that the wellbeing of young people without special needs has dramatically deteriorated in the same period, something the study suggests is the result of the detrimental impact of prolonged school closures.

Before the pandemic, one in six students without special needs could be deemed to be “at social and emotional risk”. As recently as July this year, this rose to almost one in four – 24% – the equivalent of nearly 400,000 more students.

The study shows that during lockdown many thousands of special needs pupils honed skills that make them more able to cope with the emotional ups and downs of life. Many gained confidence in adapting to change, grew more resilient and developed a healthier approach to trusting others, the study found.

The study’s authors say that while many of these young people may have found the pandemic challenging, the social-emotional skills they have gained will lead to marked improvement in the wellbeing of special needs pupils. They argue that this is largely the result of the specific approach taken by schools to support these pupils.

It is well known that many special needs pupils find busy classrooms detrimental to their wellbeing. While the overall experience of lockdown was extremely difficult for all students, many of those with special needs found it easier to both be in school with fewer students and to at least partly study at home.

They also appeared to greatly benefit from increased teacher-pupil ratios, access to devices for online learning and regular calls from school staff to make sure they were coping as well as possible. The combination of these factors – and others – are likely to have had a strikingly positive effect on their wellbeing, the study’s authors say.

Before the pandemic, one in seven young people with special needs had significant difficulty trusting other people, according to the study. Over the last few months, this has fallen to just one in nine. These young people are also now better able to adapt to changing circumstances in their lives. Before the pandemic, one in seven young people with special needs struggled to adapt to change, but over the last few months, this has also fallen to one in nine.

Worryingly, the opposite is the case for students without special needs.

Before the pandemic, about one in eight young people without special needs had difficulty trusting other people, according to the study. Over the last few months, this has risen to one in five. The same goes for those able to adapt to changing circumstances in their lives. Before the pandemic, one in ten young people without special needs struggled to adapt to change, according to the study. Over the last few months, this has risen to one in six. This means they may seek help less frequently and be more prone to perfectionism and anxiety.

The study analysed the responses of 10,942 secondary school students to 48,890 assessments of their wellbeing. The assessments took place before the pandemic, during it and over this summer. The results from all three periods were compared. Rather than measure a pupil’s own perception of their wellbeing, the assessments measure underlying patterns in a young person’s wellbeing by analysing their ability to adjust to different social-emotional situations and interactions.

Students described as those with special needs – 6% of the study’s overall sample – are those with Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs). EHCPs give a young person a statutory right to support for their special needs or disabilities. The latest government figures show that at least 4% of students in primary and secondary schools in England have an EHCP so the schools sampled in this study may have a marginally higher proportion of students with special needs.

Simon Antwis, a former headteacher and school inspector who is STEER Education’s Senior Business Development Consultant, said: “These findings give us unexpectedly good news – the wellbeing of students with special needs is improving. Huge credit should go to all school staff who work with these students.

“However, the study also shows that while schools have done their very best, overall the wellbeing of many students continues to decline. Schools need to make sure they are aware of as many students as possible who need support.

“Too many use student voice tools, such as online surveys and chat hubs, which only detect a proportion of those students who need support. These tools fail to support the ‘hidden middle’ – those who may be showing early signs of self-harm, bullying, anxiety and unhealthy self-control.”

Tania Mayes, who is responsible for special needs at a secondary school in Devon, said: “This study reveals what is happening in many secondary schools up and down the country.

“In the aftermath of the pandemic, schools have understood much more about the individual requirements of their students with special needs and their relationship with them – and their families – is closer.

“However, if we are to continue to see a sustained improvement in the wellbeing of these students, schools will need to have smaller waiting lists for external providers and additional funding.”

If successful, the availability of these programmes is likely to be rolled out across Scotland.

CAMHS Service Manager in Grampian, Amanda Farquharson (left of picture) explains: “Existing international research on the effectiveness of internet-delivered interventions for young people who are struggling with their mental health is limited. Our team sees huge potential, particularly in terms of early intervention and helping those around children and young people to gain support and advice, and we are very pleased to be taking part in this trial.”

The programmes are available online, via trusted partner SilverCloud, and include ‘Supporting an Anxious Child’ and ‘Supporting an Anxious Teen.’ These are designed to help any adult who has a caring role, using evidence-based approaches.

For young people themselves, the programmes which are designed for those aged 15+ cover ‘Space from Anxiety’, ‘Space from Low Mood’ and ‘Space from Low Mood and Anxiety’. They are specifically designed to help young people manage and overcome overwhelming feelings of anxiety, worry, panic and low mood.

Paul Toseland (right of picture), cCBT Lead for NHS Grampian, is leading the trial locally. He adds: “While anxiety, worry and panic can play a healthy role in alerting us to problems or challenges, they can easily become overwhelming, ongoing and ultimately debilitating, especially in our busy, constantly connected, modern world. Having space to explore these issues, the causes of them and address them can be hugely beneficial for children and young people.

“We have seen a huge rise in the number of young people coming forward with concerns in recent years and we hope this will help ensure they and their families can access support as quickly as possible.

“I think anyone who is a parent or carer or is involved in supporting young people can relate to the overwhelming feeling of worry we can have when faced with some of the more extreme emotions of children and young people we care so much for. Parents in particular tell us this can feel very isolating and we hope this can go some way towards addressing that, with the benefit of trusted advice and guidance.”

The courses for adults who have a caring role are open to anyone living in Grampian and are accessible by visiting: https://cypgrampian.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/ and using the access code: Grampian

For now, the programmes for young people are only available by referral if a child or young person is being supported by CAMHS. The hope is in the future young people will be able to access these directly through referral from their school or GP.

Launched in 2017 and available to every primary school in England and Wales, Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to support pupils in the classroom, the playground and on the sports field.

Premier League Primary Stars’ range of more than 640 curriculum-linked activities support teachers to build their pupils’ confidence in key areas from Maths and English to PSHE and Physical Education and can be used off-the-shelf or tailored to suit teachers’ needs. More than 58,000 teachers have downloaded and used the free curriculum-linked resources since the programme began.

To mark the five-year anniversary, the Premier League is launching the Active Summer Challenge. This brand new initiative will challenge pupils to find five ways to keep active during the summer holidays, a time when fitness levels can drop. The new resources are now available for teachers to download for free on the Premier League Primary Stars website.

Exclusive content featuring Premier League players, club coaches and experts has been created to support teachers to inspire pupils deliver impactful PE lessons. Nine out of 10 teachers believe that they have seen an increase in pupils’ enjoyment of sport and physical activity linked to the programme.

In addition to PE, English and Maths resources, Premier League Primary Stars also supports teachers to deliver classroom-based discussions and activities on important societal topics such as anti-discrimination, mental health and gender stereotypes linked to No Room for Racism, Wellbeing Stars, and Rainbow Laces. After using the PSHE resources, 72% said that their pupils understand more about how to challenge prejudice and discrimination and 79% of teachers said their pupils have a better understanding of how to look after their own wellbeing.

Natalie Sutton, School Manager at Sandfield Close Primary School, said: “The Premier League Primary Stars programme has opened up so many opportunities and doors to us that we wouldn’t have been able to open on our own. We’ve had such a positive experience since joining back in 2018. It is important to measure progress but for me, it is also important to see our pupils expand their thinking and learn about key subjects in a fun and engaging way. It has all been so positive for us as teachers, but more importantly beneficial to the learning of our pupils.”

www.PLPrimaryStars.com

Marie, who has worked at Inclusion Hampshire for 13 years, is hoping to engage with other teachers and education professionals who have completed the Department for Education (DfE) funded training programme to help develop best practice regionally and provide mutual support in the improvement of mental health provision across the county.

Marie said: “Some of our young people face a lot of barriers and difficulties, so if we can all join up and share ideas and resources, then we’re just going to be giving them the best support and guidance. “I’ve recently completed a Senior Mental Health Lead course with Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, which focused on how to implement a whole-school approach.

“Now I want to make sure we can share what we’ve learned with other schools in Hampshire, and learn from their experience too, so we can all support each other in keeping the mental health of young people a real priority.”

Marie is also keen to engage and include the local community, businesses and parents with the network to ensure all stakeholder voices are heard.

Inclusion Hampshire is a Specialist provision, prioritising mental health and wellbeing support for learners. One of Marie’s key aims is to discuss ways for all educational settings across Hampshire to be supported in developing their staff, as well as ensuring every child and young person across the region has access to excellent mental health provision.

She said: “Training is so important to help staff feel confident and supported in what they’re delivering – and I think this is also incredibly important to model to our learners. We’re demonstrating how mental health should be viewed, reducing stigma, accessing support, talking openly, and treating your mental health and wellbeing as a priority.

“Some of our young people experience anxiety, low mood, eating disorders, OCD, and I would say that some of these have absolutely been exacerbated in the last couple of years due to COVID.

“To recover from that, good mental health provision needs to be supportive without stigma and discrimination, and knowledge based. It’s about ensuring safe, supportive, nurturing, caring, mental health well-being is embedded in everything we do. And what we really need to be doing is preparing to send them off into the wide world as resilient young people who have the capacity to talk about their mental health openly and confidently.”

If you would like further information and get involved with the network, then please contact Marie at marie.greenhalgh@inclusionhampshire.org.uk

Led by Sam Moinet – former teacher and founder of Student Breakthrough and the new Educators Coaching Academy – the workshop comes at a crucial time in the academic calendar, with many teachers feeling the strain of mock exams and supporting their students to transition into higher year groups and new schools.

Sam said: “I’ve been a teacher and worked in education since 2013, so I understand the pressures and frustrations they face and the lack of support available. Through my own experiences and listening to the teachers I work with now, a lack of time, knowledge and relevant training makes it extremely difficult to help young people manage their emotions. There are also common barriers that stop students reaching their full potential such as anxiety, low motivation and self-esteem and this is why effective mental health coaching can have such a profound impact.

“My mission is to make lasting change in the education system by supporting, empowering and inspiring educators and teaching them valuable skills and techniques to become confident mental health coaches. I therefore hope this free workshop provides some valuable advice and support at a critical time in their teaching careers.”

The mental health and wellbeing of staff working in education has never been more important following the intense pressure and strain of the last two years. The latest 2021 report by Education Support into Teacher wellbeing found that 77% experienced symptoms of poor mental health due to their work, 72% are stressed and 42% think their working environment has a negative impact on their mental health.

In a more recent survey by the NEU, 44% of teachers in England said they had plans to quit within five years, siting workloads and pay as key significant factors and for those who had thought about stress at work, two-thirds reported they were stressed at least 60% of the time.

Sam added: “This workshop is just the beginning. We need to radically transform mental health support in schools – not just for children but for teachers too. I feel very passionately that this is something that’s been missing in the industry, and I aim to change that.

“We are planning to officially launch the new Educators Coaching Academy in June which will be aimed entirely at school leaders, teachers and educators themselves. There really is nothing else like it.”

To find out more about the workshop and to book your free place visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/education-evolution-life-changing-coach-training-for-teachers-tickets-337055952427

Education Support will deliver the new mental health support scheme for school leaders. The service will run until March 2023.

The scheme builds on a pilot involving over 350 school leaders which was launched in response to the challenges brought about by the pandemic. Eligible school leaders can access the programme from today through the Education Support website: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/get-help/help-for-your-staff/wellbeing-services/school-leaders-support/

Education Support also provides a free and confidential helpline for everyone working in education. It is staffed by qualified counsellors and open 24/7: 08000 562 561

Sinéad Mc Brearty, CEO of Education Support says: “School leaders have done a heroic job over the past 18 months, and we’re delighted to be continuing to support them through the services announced today. They have moved mountains to keep children learning, while implementing Covid measures, supporting families and so much more.

“School leaders keep children learning, while rarely pausing to check in on themselves. They prioritise everyone else first, which is why we’re so pleased to provide them with professional support, and a space to care for themselves.

“Today’s announcement is a welcome acknowledgement that educator mental health is a vital part of our education system. We’re delighted to be providing these services with the support of DfE, and look forward to working together to support the mental health and wellbeing of everyone working in education.”