Being recognised by more schools is the importance of wellbeing, writes Robin Gainher, headmaster of Beeston Hall School in West Runton
Much is being written at the moment in the educational press about children’s wellbeing and mental health. Over the past 30 years there has been a lot of research into the importance of wellbeing and its role in aiding learning and education outcomes. Wellbeing in young people was the focus of a global health summit in Qatar last February. The report presented at the summit called for “sweeping changes in the education of all children, so that ‘life skills’ are given the same attention as reading and writing” and proposed that all school-aged children should spend at least one hour per week “discussing their emotions, setting positive life goals, and learning how to cope with everyday pressures and social media”.
Furthermore an increasing number of schools are also focussing on staff wellbeing and mental health. Staff are the school’s most valuable and expensive resource who are on the front line on a daily basis.
The increasing focus on wellbeing for children and staff presents new challenges for governors and school leaders to ensure their school is appropriately resourced to support and develop children and staff alike.
It’s difficult to know what is to blame, with various experts citing different reasons. However, what many agree on is the impact of technology and social media on wellbeing. This should not come as any great surprise.
