By Sarah Dale
6 February 2026
From those very first days at nursery to leaving college as young adults, supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing “needs to be integrated into education’s daily and weekly routines”.
This year’s theme for Children’s Mental Health Week, from 9-15 February, is ‘This is my place’ as “we know that our sense of belonging as individuals, in our friendships, in school, and in communities, plays a vital role in our mental health and wellbeing”.
Place2Be, which introduced Children’s Mental Health Week in 2015, believes that “when we feel that we belong, it empowers us to contribute to the world and make a real difference”. To know our place and really feel part of our environment is a basic human need and it can have “powerful and long-lasting impacts on lots of areas of our lives, including our physical and mental health, education, employment and relationships” [Place2Be].
Ensuring every pupil of the 31 schools across South Tyneside, Sunderland and East Durham in Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust has access to mental health and wellbeing support is part of the ethos of the Trust. One of its strategic pillars is ‘belonging’ so every school ‘develops a connected community with a shared mission and purpose whilst celebrating uniqueness of individual schools’.
At St Oswald’s Catholic Primary School in South Shields, assistant headteacher, SENDCo and senior mental health lead Tom Smith is committed to implementing a holistic approach to children’s mental health.
“We recognise the need for mental health support to be integrated into our daily and weekly routines, not just one week a year,” he said.
“Working with outside agencies and parents, we aim to develop children’s skills and understanding of their mental health, recognising that managing your mental health requires tools and strategies that first must be taught. A child who is more resilient and emotionally literate will be happier in school and make greater progress.
“By teaching children how to understand their feelings from Nursery, all the way to Year 6, we are able to develop more emotionally literate and resilient children, who are able to engage with challenges positively, recognising their own value and articulate their feelings more fluently.”
The school, whose most recent Ofsted report noted that the pupils are “proud and happy members of the school community”, is working with Pets as Therapy to introduce one-to-one sessions to provide emotional support to children in school.
“A school dog improves self-esteem and lifts mood,” he says.
“Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things as well as relieve anxiety.”
Throughout Children’s Mental Health Week, the school will continue its Wellbeing Wednesday sessions and teach mental health lessons in PSHE (personal, social, health and economic).
“In my Year 6 class, I will be asking the children to design their own planet, focusing on how they would want people to feel and how they would support those in need,” he adds.
Supporting the older members of the Trust community is equally important and St Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Hebburn employs a school counsellor.
Beverley Foden says: “It feels so important to me to have a role like mine so that someone is there for the students on a therapeutic level. They know that they are well supported and I can offer them dedicated time and a safe space for one-to-one sessions. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is for them to have that safe space accompanied by person centred core conditions.”
The secondary school and sixth form takes a “proactive approach” using early identification and assessing individual needs. The school’s tiered approach ensures everyone plays a part, from tutors to the pastoral team to teaching staff to support staff. They also work with community mental health teams at Healthy Minds, Lifecycle, CYPS and CAMHS.
“I and an HLTA (higher level teaching assistant), who does ad hoc one-off sessions, work with our young people,” she says.
“We have previously worked with the Healthy Minds Team to facilitate group work on exam stress and Living Life to the Full sessions, using CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) to promote self-awareness and provide students with coping strategies for better wellbeing. I offer eight to 10 counselling sessions for students identified for support, but the service is client-led so there are opportunities for further sessions and re-referral if future support is needed.
“I believe counselling found me; I didn’t find counselling, It is important that everyone has someone who believes in them – from children to adulthood. Someone believed in me that I could retrain as a counsellor and support young people. This is where I belong.”
Stephanie Arthur has worked at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Jarrow for 18 years and retrained to become the school’s child wellbeing lead. Her role includes developing a whole-school approach to wellbeing, providing support and guidance to staff and pupils, and promoting a positive school environment, where students can thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
“It has enabled me to watch their confidence grow and encouraged them to talk about their emotions and feelings and express themselves confidently, especially throughout the pandemic,” she says.
“I created wellbeing and mindfulness packs for children and adults to support their mental health during this difficult time. My dedication and passion in this area, then enabled me to take on the Senior Mental Health course.
“At St Joseph’s we are passionate about promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. We know how vital it is in identifying, supporting and signposting children to getting the help and support they need. While rates of mental ill health do increase as children get older, early intervention is key to giving young people the best start in life, teaching them the skills they need to recognise and deal with their emotions, and helping those with difficulties get the support they need.”
During Children’s Mental Health Week, there will be school assemblies on wellbeing and activities throughout each school to embed the importance of good mental health skills.
For more information about BCCET, visit www.bccet.org.uk
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