Healthy Minds is a school-based project which aims to support the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people. It puts emotional resilience at the heart of children’s health and wellbeing and recognises its impact on their learning, attainment, behaviour and future employability.

We know that schools offer so much more than academic education. They also attend to children’s social, emotional, developmental and health needs. Healthy Minds provides staff with the latest neurodevelopmental and mental health research to help them develop a whole-school approach to supporting and developing these needs.

Schools are in a fantastic position not just to teach about emotional wellbeing but to help children experience it. By providing stable, nurturing and protective environments, schools can help children learn how to regulate their emotions and develop healthy relationships with other children and school staff. These abilities will have a huge impact on their emotional resilience and satisfaction with their lives.

We have found that the Healthy Minds model makes great sense to school staff who have been able to use its principles within the classroom and across school.

“Thanks for your help! really interesting and load of strategies which can be used without huge upheavals, small changes = big differences.”

“Really useful to have all staff there. Justifies the ways in which some of us work. Thank you :)”

“It is something that I would like it to be sharper at in practice.”

“Interesting, thought provoking, would be good to hear more ‘practical’ strategies.”

Project partners

Healthy Minds forms an important part of Sheffield’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy for Children and Young People which was developed by Sheffield City Council and the Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group.

The project is led by Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust’s CAMHS team working in collaboration with schools across the city.

Participating schools 2017/18

September 2017 cohort

Acres Hill Primary School
Angram Bank Primary School
Arbourthorne Primary School
Beck Primary School
E-Act Pathways Academy
Ecclesfield Primary School
Fir Vale School
Gleadless Primary School
High Hazels Academy
Hucklow Primary School
Manor Lodge Primary School
Mansel Primary School
Meynell Primary School
Oasis Fir Vale Academy
Oasis Watermead Academy
Owler Brook Primary School
Pipworth Primary School
Sheffield Springs Academy
Silverdale School
St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School
St Thomas More Catholic Primary School
Tinsley Meadows Primary School
Watercliffe Meadow Primary School

January 2018 cohort

Bankwood Primary School
Birley Primary Academy
Birley Spa Primary Academy
Bradfield Dungworth Primary School
Brightside NI School
Concord Junior School
Dore Primary School
Emmanuel Junior School
Firth Park Academy
Hinde House 2-16 School
Limpsfield Junior School
Lower Meadow Primary School
Mundella Primary School
Sharrow Primary School
St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School
Stocksbridge Junior School
Wharncliffe Side Primary School
Wincobank NI School
Woodseats Primary School

Participating schools 2018/19

September 2018 cohort

Meadowhead School
Chaucer School
Yewlands Academy
Abbeyfield Primary Academy
Whiteways Primary School
Norfolk Community Primary School
Wybourn Community Primary School
Sheffield Inclusion Centre
Handsworth Grange CSC
Greenhill Primary School
Meersbrook Bank Primary School
Valley Park Primary School
High Storrs Academy

January 2019 cohort

Athelstan Primary School
Coit Primary School
Fox Hill Primary School
Hillsborough Primary School
Monteney Primary School
Windmill Hill Primary School
Shortbrook Primary School
Waterthorpe NI School
Woodhouse West Primary School
Dobcroft Infant School
Dobcroft Junior School
Hunters Bar Infant School
Lydgate Infant School
Nether Edge Primary School
St Maries R C Primary School
Totley All Saints CE Primary School
Nook Lane Junior School
Rivelin Primary School
Sacred Heart RC Primary School
Stannington Infant School
Stocksbridge NI School

Participating schools 2019/20

September 2019 cohort

Eccelsall CE Primary School
Bradway Primary
Grenoside Community Primary School
Norfolk Park Primary
Oughtibridge Primary School
St Theresa’s Catholic Primary
St Thomas of Canterbury Academy
Totley Primary

Healthy Minds key activities

Universal	Whole staff training in fundamentals of young people’s mental health Healthy Minds Survey – to identify the strengths and needs of the individual school community Healthy Minds Champions – to access student voice Individual school Healthy Minds action plan Mental Health Promotion
Targeted	SAFE (Secure Attachment Focussed Environments) Training - three days for key staff Further understanding of vulnerability Attachment theory across the lifecycle Strategies to implement theory into practice Communication framework Assessment of risks, resilience and formulation Reflective practice framework Clarity re CAMHS offer and referral pathway Reflective practice for key staff
Traded offer	Negotiated with individual and groups of schools Further bespoke training Reflective practice to embed staff skills Assessment, formulation, intervention and evaluation for individual students Robust communication framework within school Multi-agency integrated working and communication

Top tips for schools to get the most out of Healthy Minds

Think whole school
Engage Senior Leadership Team
Be clear about the Healthy Minds offer and include it in the School Improvement Plan (SIP)
Include all staff in whole school training
Identify staff who have a strategic leadership role to attend the three-day SAFE training
Healthy Minds surveys completed asap
Remember emotional resilience is the bedrock for learning and attainment
Keep in touch with your Healthy Minds clinician and email them any questions (big or small)
Plan so the learning from Healthy Minds reaches across school and is sustainable
Give explicit permission to staff so they feel able to include the Healthy Minds principles within their role