There’s growing recognition in schools, policy and research that mental wellbeing in education should be part of everyday school life, not just an add-on. As schools explore new ways to support young people’s mental health, two recent studies help shed light on what’s working and where we need to go next.
A 2024 review by Hayes et al. found that some universal mental health awareness and literacy programmes can lead to positive outcomes. Meanwhile, the AWARE trial explored whether two well-established mental health interventions, YAM and The Guide, could be successfully scaled in English secondary schools. While the results were mixed, the authors concluded that universal approaches should be considered as one strand of a wider support strategy, alongside efforts embedded within school communities, families, and local networks.
“They should be considered as part of a wider provision strategy in schools, alongside support embedded within families and communities.”– AWARE Trial (Deighton et al., 2024)
This message is echoed in national guidance too. The Department for Education’s RSHE training module on teaching mental wellbeing encourages schools to “start with wellbeing”, embedding it into everyday school life, rather than treating it as a reactive or one-off topic. It calls for teaching that helps young people understand how their minds work and gives them practical tools to support themselves and others.
That’s exactly the space Mindapples works in. We don’t just deliver lessons, we support schools to create a culture of mental wellbeing across the whole community. Our programme aligns with the Department for Education’s Whole-School Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing and complements national guidance like RSHE. By working with students, staff and families, we help school communities build lasting confidence and a shared language for looking after their minds, together.
You can read more about how our approach connects with national strategy and what’s happening in schools this month in our latest blog: Bringing the Whole-School Approach to Life with Mindapples for Schools.