Supporting Children and Young People to Build Confidence, Manage Emotions, Develop Social Skills and Thrive
Looking back on what we achieved together…
Over the last year, our work in schools has focused on a simple but important aim: helping children feel more confident, more understood and better equipped to manage the ups and downs of everyday life. At a time when many pupils are experiencing anxiety, low self-esteem and uncertainty, early support in school can make a meaningful difference.
National evidence continues to show both the scale of the need and the value of school-based support. Mental Health of Children and Young People 2023, published by NHS England1, reports that around one in five children are experiencing mental health difficulties. While recent research from the NIHR School for Public Health Research2 highlights that school-based mental health interventions can improve children and young people’s mental health, particularly by reducing anxiety, distress and depression while increasing self-esteem, resilience and confidence. That reflects what we see in practice: when support is accessible, familiar and delivered in trusted school settings, children are more likely to engage and the outcomes are improved.
What we achieved this year
This year, we strengthened our work with schools by delivering support that was practical, compassionate and rooted in the real experiences of pupils and staff. Using the solution-focused technique we delivered sessions working on self-esteem, confidence, emotional regulation, healthy friendships and coping strategies. We helped children develop their own goals, recognise their strengths and the positive things they were already doing and then identify small, achievable steps they could take to move them closer to their goal.
* We reached pupils at an earlier stage, helping them build confidence before worries became harder to manage.
* We created space for children to reflect on their strengths, recognise progress and practise positive self-talk.
* We used feedback and summary statistics to better understand what pupils need and where our work can have the greatest impact.
In Secondary schools:
* We provided 1:1 mentoring for 207 young people.
* Of those who finished the programme 100% had improved their mental health and moved closer to achieving their goals.
In Primary schools:
* We provided targeted support through our small group courses to 298 children.
* 95% of the children had improved mental health, confidence and resilience by the end of the course.
Highlights from the year
Some of the most powerful moments have been the quieter ones: a child finding the words to describe a worry, a pupil realising that other children feel the same way, or a young person learning that confidence can be built one small step at a time. These moments matter because they help children develop the language, trust and strategies they need to navigate challenge both now and in the future.
In the words of some of those we have worked with:
* I don’t lose focus as early and get more work handed in on time.
* I’ve been more approachable and in a better mood.
* I have understood how I can deal with my anxiety better. I have become a more confident person and felt better and healthier overall. It is helpful to have someone to talk to.
* My fear of standing in front of a crowd has been faced and my anxiety is better
* I started off as this small person and became this big person who was brave
* I’ve made new friends when I had none before
* I am arguing less with teachers, focussing better and getting less ‘logs’
* I come to school every day and I am happier at school
* I’m able to use ways to control my anger
* I feel like a weight has been taken off
* Mentoring has helped me be more confident and face my fear and challenges
* I am more confident to speak to people without being afraid
* I’m a lot calmer
* I have become more kind to myself
* I’m happier, more positive and more confident in myself
* I like being a weirdo and that’s OK
References:
1 https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2023-wave-4-follow-up
2 https://sphr.nihr.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/research-highlights-benefits-of-school-based-mental-health-interventions/
