Introduction
This bitesize CPD collection is part of a series of online micro learning units for teachers and school leaders on supporting pupil mental health and wellbeing in practice. The units offer insights into best practice in supporting children and young people, building on the latest evidence base. They are designed to develop knowledge around a range of topics that now form part of the statutory Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, supporting teachers to consider how they might most effectively deliver these topics as part of the curriculum. Specifically, topics covered include:
- Anxiety
- Sleep and screen time
- Bullying and loneliness
- Trauma
- Eating disorders
- Self harm
- Addiction and substance use
- Bereavement
- Social media
- Whole-school approaches
These online micro learning units incorporate a range of content types to support professional learning and reflective practice, including:
- Recordings from ‘Pedagogy in practice’ – a webinar series developed in partnership with The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) with a focus on how to teach key topics aligned with the RSHE curriculum
- Access to a Padlet with ideas and resources shared by teachers
- Case studies from practising teachers and school leaders and research reviews summarising the latest evidence base
- Reflective questions to support learning and reading lists signposting further sources and support.
This online learning is being supported by the Bupa Foundation and the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH).
Sleep and screen time
Research has shown that high-quality sleep has a positive impact on children’s mental health and their academic achievement, yet adolescents in particular may often not get enough sleep, which can negatively impact their wellbeing and performance. The debate about screen time and its potential impact on sleep and concentration has also been well-publicised, if not always in the most balanced way. As teachers and school leaders, it can sometimes feel hard to make an impact on these areas, as many decisions around sleep and screen-time routines are taken outside the school and within families.
Schools have an important role to play in raising students’ and teachers’ awareness about the importance of sleep and the impact of screen time on students’ wellbeing and their academic achievement. This micro learning unit includes articles and resources on supporting pupils to understand why good quality sleep matters and how it can be achieved, as well as key considerations about screen time and its possible effects both on sleep and more widely.
Webinar
This webinar included presentations by Amy Sayer FCCT, Clare Erasmus FCCT and Alex McLean and featured Jan Forshaw (Head of Education, Coram Life Education) and Jonathan Baggaley (CEO, PSHE Association) as panelists.
The presentation by Clare Erasmus is featured below, and the presentations by Alex McLean and Amy Sayer as well as the panel Q&A are available to watch. Further details are on the event page of our Video Hub.
Clare Erasmus presentation transcript download
Alex McLean presentation transcript download
Amy Sayer presentation transcript download
Sleep and Screen Time Q&A transcript download
Padlet