Headteacher ‘proud’ of improving children’s mental health in primary school

Regulating emotions, introducing a shared language and individualised coping mechanisms are just some of the tools a Northampton primary school has implemented to help improve student mental health.

Lyncrest Primary School, in Northampton, has decided to prioritise the wellbeing of each individual pupil in a bid to increase learning outcomes and to make each child happier and more productive, inside and outside of the classroom.

As part of their commitment, the school signed up to LightBulb, the St Andrew’s Healthcare’s Mental Wellness Programme, which provides a ready-made framework for primary and secondary schools to help improve the wellbeing of their pupils and staff.

Headteacher Jemma Gillespie, who has been at the school September 2021, said: “Mental wellbeing for everyone within my school has always been a top priority for me. However, as a team we identified there had been a significant increase in children who were showing signs of anxiety or worry. We noticed some children were upset and others were becoming more disruptive in class, and even the smallest change in routine could be detrimental to some children. We knew we had to do something.”

The school’s findings reflect what seems to be happening nationally with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) reporting that more than half of all Childline counselling sessions in 2023/24 were related to mental or emotional health and wellbeing. 

Jemma added: “Staff said they all felt they could benefit from some training so they could better recognise what our students needed. We wanted to look at adapting some of our practices so we could support the vulnerable children the most.”

The LightBulb team assessed the school and what it was already offering in terms of wellbeing support, and provided training to staff that has helped improve their knowledge, understanding and skills so they feel more confident in identifying potential signs and symptoms of mental health issues. 

Jemma added: “It was about us learning the best strategies to use and when, so we can help our students regulate themselves. We’ve worked hard with the children so they can recognise and name their feelings and emotions. Since LightBulb, we’ve rolled out toolkits and now every classroom has now developed a way each child can show the adults how they are feeling. They all have different tools to pick depending on whether they feel tired, upset or worried.

“This could be anything from needing to take a movement break mid-lesson to going and sitting in the calm corner for a bit just to have some quiet time if they’ve become over stimulated. Educating our children is of extreme importance, but unless they feel settled and engaged, nothing will be learnt which is why we’ve shifted our focus and now the priority is on helping our young people regulate their emotions.”

Jemma said that a staff survey has since shown that everyone now feels more confident recognising what the children might need and the learning environment has become even more supportive for everyone in the classroom.

She added: “I think LightBulb has been helpful for everyone; it’s empowered the children to take more control and the teachers feel more reassured now they’ve had training and given strategies to help cope with different behaviours. 

“The whole programme was really good value for money and led by people who are working with children day in and day out with additional needs, so they can give real life experiences. We’re really proud of the supportive culture we’ve created within our school, which encourages children to feel their emotions, recognise them, and then do whatever they need to do to get back into their learning zone, and so far we’ve seen nothing but positivity.”

Peter Rainford, Headteacher of the St Andrew’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) College and LightBulb Lead, said: “We’re thrilled that another school has been through our LightBulb programme and found it so useful. When it comes to mental health, prevention is always better than cure, but in order to do this, it’s vital we promote good mental health from the earliest ages. The first step in doing this is helping children to make sense of what they’re feeling and then what to do about it.

“Looking after a child’s mental wellbeing, is just as important as their physical health, and our programme provides support so teachers, parents and carers know what they need to, so they can spot early signs.

“At St Andrew’s, we look after young people who have become significantly mentally unwell, so we know only too well, how important it is that anyone who works with children can see the signs that a child may be struggling with their mental health before it escalates into something bigger.”

LightBulb is available for both primary and secondary schools. For more information or to book a school into the programme, email lightbulb@stah.org or visit https://www.stah.org/education/light-bulb