Education Choices Magazine - Spring 2025

EDUCATION CHOICES SPRING 2025 | £8.50

T H E K EY TO YOUR CH ILD’ S SUCCESS

UK BOARDING FOCUS

Top 20 Senior Boarding Schools

EDUCATION CORNER

EDIB and UK Boarding panel interviews with leading schools

SPECIAL FEATURE:

Mrs. Alex Hutchinson, JAGS

EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST

EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST INTERVIEWS: 15-17 Ms. Victoria Playford Wetherby School, Kensington

18-20 Mr. Will Newman Cranleigh Prep School, Surrey

44-46 EDIB Panel Podcast

10 03 Education Book Corner

Mr. Marvyn Harrison, Dope Black Dads and Belovd Agency, Mrs. Monia Zahid, Haberdashers’ Boys School and Mr. David Mulae, Cranleigh School SPECIAL FEATURE

48-50 Mrs. Alex Hutchinson

Book recommendations about sustainability for all ages.

James Allen’s Girls’ School, London

06 Choosing a Nursery For Your Child Top tips for Parents

Ludgrove School, Blundell’s School, Bryanston School and Haberdashers’ Adams School

07 The Chelsea Nursery

54-56 Miss Rachel Hart

A Nurturing Start for Little Learners

Roedean School, Sussex

08 Environment Day and Joining Pre-Prep School

57-59 Ms. Julie Lodrick

Learning to care for the planet and Cranleigh Prep School’s new pre-prep classes

09 The Journey of a Lifetime Boarding at Godstowe School

10 Empowering Growth Why staying on at prep school until Year 8 can have far reaching benefits

11 The Benefits of an All-Through School Going to one school from nursery to university

12-13 Transforming Our World Creating the next generation of changemakers

14 Head in a Warzone An education twinning project

51-53 Boarding School Panel Podcast

Tudor Hall School, Oxfordshire

22-23 ECM Recommended Prep Boarding School Options 2025 Choosing the best prep boarding school for your child

24 We Are All Connected Connecting to nature through gardening

25-26 The Next Generation of Conservationists Thinking about a greener future

27 Supporting a Sustainable Future Inspiring families to protect our planet

28 Protecting the Wild “Once upon our time, somewhere not far away, was the Wild…”

29 It’s Never Too Late!

Protecting the oceans

30 Supporting One Another Learning to deal with difficult emotions

31 Embracing Emotional Challenges

15 4 | EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S P R I N G 2 02 5

A journey from fear to courage

32-33 My Awesome Autism The importance of representation for neurodivergent children

In the Spring issue...

34 “Why Can’t You Just Behave?”

68 Welcome to State Boarding

Why we need to rethink how we define behaviour to benefit all children who think differently

A cheaper alternative to boarding

35-36 Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child

Supporting young people digitally

Choosing the right school

36-37 Unlocking Potential Resources to support neurodiverse students

38-39 Parental Burnout Coping with the challenges of bringing up children

40-41 Supporting Neurodiversity with AI How we can use AI to support students’ needs

42-43 Teaching Truth In An Age of Misinformation Why schools must engage with political controversy

47 Navigating Disagreement Successfully Disagreeing Well: a skill for everyone

60-61 ECM Top 20 Senior Boarding Schools 2025 Choosing the best senior boarding school for your child

62 ECM Top 5 State Boarding Schools 2025 Choosing a state boarding school

63 The Benefits of Full Boarding Life at Rugby School

64 Communal Spaces New ‘Fives’ café and Sixth Form Centre at Lancing College

66 International Rowing Success

69 Digital Wellbeing 70-71 Improving Educational Outcomes Helping vulnerable young people to access leading independent education

71-72 Social Segregation In Our Schools How to support equal attainment

73 The Right Help at the Right Time How an online service is tackling mental health problems at an early stage in schools

74 The Constant Evolution of the English Language The impact of sociolinguistic research at SOAS

75 Step-by-Step University Admissions Advice and Breaking Down Barriers Advice on applying for a university place as an undergraduate and Warwick Business School celebrates 10 years of its Foundation Year programme

76 Why Choose Exeter University?

Advice for students applying to university

77 Countryside Charm Why embracing rural living might be right for you

78-79 New Build Homes The ideal choice for modern families

80-81 Walls of Change Refreshing your space for the spring season

Experience elite rowing at Shiplake College

67 An End to Latin in the State Sector?

How a classical education can unlock the modern world

Founder: Chloe Abbott Social Media: Ella Maria and Megan Payne Co-Editors: Megan Payne and Rohini BhonsleAllemand Social Media Assistant: Ella Maloney Assistants: Olivia Hawkins and Amelie Robinson Design: Peter Charles www.petercharlesdesign.com Podcast Editor: Emma Charleston Photography: Miles Davies www.milesdaviesphotography.com EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE is now available to purchase both online and on paper copy.

Please contact: chloeabbott@educationchoicesmagazine.com

57 EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S PRI N G 2025 | 5

EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST

EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH HEAD

Mr. Will Newman FROM CRANLEIGH PREP SCHOOL, SURREY In this episode of Education Corner Podcast, we spoke to Mr. Will Newman, Head at Cranleigh Prep School, Surrey. Will spoke to us about Cranleigh Prep School’s family-like community, the importance of developing pupils’ confidence and passions and preparing children to be future leaders.

Mr. Will Newman first began working in prep education after graduating from university, despite originally intending to work in secondary education, he told us: “Within a week, I realised I’d found my calling and loved it and that’s where I’ve stayed ever since - in prep schools.” Since then, he has worked in several schools, including Sedbergh Prep, Taunton Prep and Edgeborough School, before joining Cranleigh Prep as Head at the beginning of 2025.

The school motto is Ex Cultur Robur, meaning: ‘From Culture comes strength’. Will likened the community and culture at Cranleigh Prep to a family: “I think of our children here, in many ways, as I think of my own children. We all want the best for our kids. We all want them to explore every avenue or every interest that they might possibly have and that’s what we do here at the Prep School at Cranleigh.” This supportive, familylike atmosphere is particularly important to the boarding pupils at Cranleigh Prep. Will described the benefits of boarding and stated: “It gives you 1 8 | EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S P R I N G 2 02 5

even more opportunity to immerse the children in the culture that you want them to be a part of,” giving pupils even more opportunities to make the most of all Cranleigh Prep has to offer.

Will also believes that boarding at the prep stage can benefit pupils and families by prolonging their childhood, especially “[in] an era and in a society where sometimes children are accelerated through their childhood quicker than parents may want.” At Cranleigh Prep, pupils are “completely screen-free in the boarding environment.”

Instead, they are encouraged to play outdoors and explore the many activities on offer with their friends.

Will stated: “They spend their evenings, their mornings and everywhere in between, just talking to each other, mucking around with their friends, doing all kinds of daft games, ridiculousness. I think that is a wonderful antidote to a society in which children’s childhood is in danger of being eroded.” At Cranleigh Prep, pupils have plentiful space and resources to entertain themselves and explore anything that might pique their interest: “If you want a school in which you’ve got your own astroturf, a swimming pool, a gym, its own woodlands and all the rest of these things that the children do, then there’s that.”

Alongside the excellent academic offering, the hidden curriculum, life skills learnt by partaking

From Culture Comes Strength

“I think of our children here, in many ways, as I think of my own children. We all want the best for our kids.

We all want them to explore every avenue or every interest that they might possibly have and that’s what we do here at the Prep School at Cranleigh.” in the wide range of activities on offer throughout school life, is also key to pupils’ success at Cranleigh Prep. Will described the power of this in boarding in particular: “Children are learning, first of all, to take responsibility for themselves.

To get their own stuff sorted, organise their own gear, take responsibility for their own way of approaching that evening or that morning. But then after that, to take responsibility for somebody else and get to know somebody else who’s slightly different to them.” This community approach to boarding in particular teaches the valuable life skill of cooperation, preparing pupils for life beyond school by allowing them to get to know a wide range of people from across the school community, Will shared: “Boarding actually teaches them a real life skill: how to rub up alongside somebody else who you may not necessarily gravitate towards [...] I think that is incredibly valuable to kids.”

At Cranleigh, pupils remain in the Prep School until age 13 before moving on to Cranleigh Senior School, rather than progressing to the senior school aged 11. Will believes strongly in the power of staying at prep school for longer, telling us: “The last

two years in Year 7 and Year 8, I think, are often transformative.” Will likened the process to packing a bag before going on a trip: pupils who leave prep school at age 11 may often ‘pack their bags’ in a hurry, forgetting important things and leaving them ill-prepared, whereas pupils who have a further two years in prep school can embark on their journey to senior school fully prepared and equipped to thrive. Key to this preparedness for senior school, Will believes, are the soft skills taught through the hidden curriculum: confidence, resilience and a sense of one’s own passions and interests.

Pupils are encouraged to develop this by partaking in all aspects of school life, with excellent opportunities in academics and co-curriculum.

Will told us: “It’s really, really important to us that they do that and they don’t channel too early, [...] so they don’t just become one type of pupil.”

Maintaining an awareness of the wide variety of passions, learning styles and future paths pupils may take is key: “Having a wide range of cocurricular interests is great, not only for exploring every single nook and cranny of who they might then be as an adult, but also in terms of promoting and looking after their selfEDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S PRI NG 2025 | 19

»

Developing Independence

Alongside this, Cranleigh Prep also has excellent SEN provision, Will described: “The children have their own spaces, it’s quiet, they’re not disturbed.” It’s also important that this provision is a central part of the school, not an afterthought, shared Will: “For them to have their own space and their own dedicated staff team, which is incredibly well resourced, is an important part of our curriculum.” Allowing pupils, regardless of their needs or learning styles, to thrive is a key aim at Cranleigh Prep: “It’s a school with a broad “Their employability is a core focus, but we range of pupils in its pupil body and everyone’s an also want our children to be changemakers individual.” and future leaders.”

Preparing pupils for the future beyond their school esteem.” Alongside the thriving co-curricular, years is a key area of focus for many schools Cranleigh Prep also boasts excellent academic and parents alike. At Cranleigh Prep, ongoing success, Will told us: “Science is one of the jewels in curriculum reform will include a skills-based our academic crown. There’s no doubt about that” curriculum, maintaining opportunities for pupils to The motivation for this, Will described, is to allow have a wide range of experiences and develop key pupils to thrive in the last two years of prep school life skills as well as ‘soft skills’ such as creativity, and leave fully prepared to thrive in senior school: leadership and critical thinking. Will described “We don’t want to compromise with the facilities, the school’s ambitions for their pupils: “Their the resources, the expertise, the common room, employability is a core focus, but we also want our any of those things. It should be a senior school children to be changemakers and future leaders.” curriculum experience, but within the family of a Less than a term into his headship at Cranleigh prep school.”

Prep, Will is already able to share the exciting opening of a Pre-Prep at Cranleigh from September 2025 and looks forward to continuing to lead Cranleigh Prep School through these exciting times. Will concluded: “There’s change in the air, there’s a sense of anticipation, there’s a sense of what is possible. I would say that’s definitely true both at the prep and at senior.”

We would like to thank Mr. Will Newman, Head at Cranleigh Prep School, for giving up his time to speak to us.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST www.cranprep.org TURN TO PAGES 60 - 62 for ECM Top 20 Senior Boarding Schools 2025

20 | EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S P R I N G 2 02 5

CLICK HERE to listen to our Education Corner Podcast with Mrs. Samantha Price, Head of Cranleigh School

MAX TO THE

ACTIVE AT GRAVITY

Leap into learning with GRAVITY MAX & GRAVITY ACTIVE! Looking for the ultimate school trip experience? Gravity MAX and Gravity Active are where fun meets education! Give your students the chance to challenge themselves, bond with classmates, and develop essential life skills—all in a safe, exhilarating environment.

With 21 locations across the UK, Gravity provides the perfect mix of adventure and learning for students aged 4-18. Whether it’s a reward trip, prom event, or an overseas student visit, we offer tailored sessions to suit every need.

At Gravity, we believe in learning beyond the classroom! Our stateof-the-art facilities ensure a safe and exciting space where students can thrive.

FIND OUT MORE Visit: gravity-global.com or email schools@gravity-uk.com

In association with

EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST

EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH

Mr. Marvyn Harrison

FOUNDER OF DOPE BLACK DADS AND BELOVD

Mrs. Monia Sahar Zahid

HEAD OF EDI AT HABERDASHERS’ BOYS’ SCHOOL AND

Mr. David Mulae

ASSISTANT HEAD PASTORAL AND EDI LEAD AT CRANLEIGH SCHOOL A panel discussion about the importance of teaching and embracing equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging in education.

In a period where it can often seem society is increasingly polarised, reflecting on the progress made in regards to equality, diversity and inclusion in education so far is a reminder of the power and importance of inclusive education. Monia Zahid, Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Haberdashers’ Boys’ School, shared: “There is evidence of continued progress. You walk into any classroom and you will see differentiated teaching methods, you’ll see anti-discrimination policies and an emphasis on wellbeing and mental health. That is all progress that has been made over a very long time.” Remaining resilient and patient is also central to the outlook of Marvyn Harrison, Founder of Dope Black Dads and Belovd, as he reminded us: “We have to be very aware that change happens significantly slower than maybe we would like.” However, our 44 | EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S P R I N G 2 02 5

guests remain dedicated to looking towards the future and continuing to make progress: “While we’ve modernised our thoughts on how best to provide support, the idea of promoting support and belonging remains equally important.” David Mulae, Assistant Head Pastoral and EDI leader at Cranleigh School, told us.

Cultural humility - defined in the Cambridge Journal as: “A lifelong process of self-reflection and self-critique, whereby the individual not only learns about another’s culture, but one starts with an examination of his or her own beliefs and cultural identities.” is also central to teaching about EDIB and making progress. David shared the ways in which they promote this at Cranleigh: “What we want to do is promote children’s social awareness [...] by creating cultural literacy within young people.

This is mainly through continued conversation, through the curriculum and through broader school recognition events.” This includes school-wide

Teaching Inclusivity and Awareness

celebrations of holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Ramadan and Lunar New year, both within dedicated PSHE lessons and in day-to-day life at the school.

Marvyn also shared the impact of this on his personal life: “I think really getting to experience all the different cultures and hear the languages, see the food and the religious practices has really brought me a lot of wisdom. I think it’s something that’s really incredible, and it should happen in the school environment.”

The Afro-Caribbean Education Network (ACEN) holds annual conventions dedicated to promoting EDIB in education, where teaching staff, students and academics come together to share experiences and best practices for the sector. Both David and Monia have attended these conferences and shared how they have been impacted both personally and professionally. “Professionally, I’ve worked in independent schools, some with large numbers of black and brown pupils, but most are predominantly white environments,” David shared, “the ACEN

Cranleigh School

“The ACEN conference was the first time I sat in a room of teaching professionals, who not only were talking about equity, diversity, inclusion (topics that I believe strongly in) but also in a room of people that looked like me.”

DAVID MULAE

conference was the first time I sat in a room of teaching professionals who not only were talking about equity, diversity and inclusion (topics that I believe strongly in) but also in a room of people that looked like me.” The recent conference focused on Heads and Deputy Heads, “The leadership of this needs to come from the top.” David told us. Monia also shared: “One of the most important things about the ACEN conferences is that it uniquely provides a platform for some real, honest conversations.” By bringing students and educators together to share experiences, it allows for greater understanding of the real experiences and feelings of the students at the heart of the issue: “When the students are the ones who are addressing you, you really are forced to recognise the importance of the work that you’re trying to do as well.” By centering the young people most affected by these issues, events such as the ACEN conference empower educators to collaborate with one another and external agencies to provide the best education and resources for their students.

Since President Trump’s inauguration in January, EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S PRI NG 2025 | 45

»

Navigating Global Issues

“We have to balance our disappointment at these political changes and look at how much progress we have made, how many people have benefited and what we can still create from that without the permission of anybody, because now we’re in charge, we have the information and we want to do it.”

Haberdashers’ Boys’ School

MARVYN HARRISON

several statements and policies have directly targeted minority groups and EDIB policies. Key to our speakers’ roles is the need to respond to global events such as these, which may cause young people to feel upset or worried about the future.

Monia told us: “When policies like this change so dramatically, it can feel really unsettling, especially if you’ve been working so hard to make schools and workplaces more inclusive, but I think the key thing - and the key driver for us here - has been that our efforts in DEI are bigger than a government policy or a movement.” David also echoed this, emphasising that events in the news, whilst distressing, do not prevent the crucial work taking place in these schools: “When the news changes so quickly, the conversation shifts, and it can detract from a genuine dialogue about the work that we’re doing, and how best to support the individuals within our communities.” Facilitating productive conversations with students is key to working through challenging times and remaining hopeful, Monia believes: “When it comes to young people in particular, I think it’s really important to help them understand that history moves in cycles and progress is often met with resistance.” Marvyn also hopes to inspire pupils to focus on the positive and not be held back by political frustration, he shared.

Looking towards the future, all our guests remain hopeful, whilst acknowledging that there are undoubtedly challenges facing those working on EDIB education. At Cranleigh, collaboration with external organisations such as BAMEd (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Educators) and Black Lives in Music support the school to continue to make progress in becoming more diverse and

inclusive and empowering all their students to thrive in a diverse and inclusive world. David explained: “Anything that promotes, discusses or supports schools with these issues is invaluable, because ultimately, these pupils are going out into the world and they need to have working knowledge of how to navigate it and how to lead on it.” At Haberdashers’ Boys’, pupils are prepared for the future by encouraging them to be “active bystanders”, prepared to stand up for their values and support one another. Monia explained: “That active bystander, that allyship, is so, so important.

We move away from just protecting your own identity and towards being the biggest advocate for someone else’s identity and being vocal in support of someone else.” These community values and passions are also encouraged through Marvyn’s books I Love Me and The Best Me, which encourage children and adults alike to develop the confidence and self-esteem to remain resilient and thrive in the world. Marvyn also remains hopeful and determined for the future, concluding: “We are going to make space and accommodate as many people as humanly possible and we’re going to be listening to see how we accommodate them going forward.”

TURN TO PAGE 74 to read about Diverse University Courses

46 | EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S P R I N G 2 02 5

We would like to thank our panel speakers for giving up their time to speak to us.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST www.habselstree.org.uk/boys/senior www.cranleigh.org www.dopeblack.org www.belovd.agency.com CLICK HERE to listen to our Education Corner Podcast with Mrs. Samantha Price, Head of Cranleigh School

DISAGREEING WELL

Navigating Disagreement Successfully Disagreeing Well: a skill for everyone Diverse communities can hold diverse opinions and still coexist happily. As a society, we can have free speech, reasoned dialogue and diversity of thought if we learn to disagree well. Encouraging this kind of respectful, attentive debate has always been one of the key roles of the nation’s universities, which is one of the reasons that University College London (UCL) has launched its Disagreeing Well programme, an initiative designed to promote the kind of careful listening and thoughtful dialogue that enables all of us to challenge our assumptions and open up our minds to new perspectives.

Having the tools, techniques and platforms to do so is a vital part of how UCL is supporting both its own internal communities of staff and students in practising this. UCL also offers free-to-all public resources on the topic. Here you can find the Disagreeing Well Skills Series of short videos designed to help you develop good conversational practices, hosted by international conflict mediator and UCL alumna, Mia Forbes Pirie.

Staff and students across the

university have been thinking carefully about how to learn to disagree well and promote these skills in our classrooms. Teaching difficult and sensitive topics can be incredibly productive and engaging, but we need to plan carefully when strong emotions might enter the classroom. We have designed professional development opportunities for staff to reflect on the creation of inclusive and psychologically safe classrooms wherever possible, especially when disagreement is a likely outcome in a teaching session or module.

UCL encourages students to have experiences of learning about difficult and sensitive topics. This offers interesting opportunities to learn more about different world views and develop inclusive communication skills. Through our ChangeMakers initiative or Extended Learning Opportunities programme, we are offering supported opportunities for

students to collaborate with staff and with each other, learning how to disagree well and to think about productive learning outcomes where consensus is not always possible. An example of this launching in July is a podcast series on how to disagree well in collaboration with the Students’ Union UCL Impartial Chairs programme. Students have given feedback that they enjoy learning about topics that could be described as difficult or sensitive and particularly in the case of the Eugenics Legacy and Education Project, students see the value of the university community continuing to grapple with topics that are uncomfortable and challenging together.

HELEN KNOWLER Associate Professor and Academic Lead for UCL’s Eugenics Legacy Education Project (ELEP). www.ucl.ac.uk/about/disagreeing-well CLICK HERE to listen to our Education Corner Podcast with Lara Choksey, Lecturer in Colonial and Postcolonial Literature at UCL CLICK HERE to listen to our Education Corner Podcast with Professor John Mullan, Head of the Department of English at UCL

EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S PRI NG 2025 | 47

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

pass rates in English and Maths that were 27% higher than in areas with low segregation, illustrating how crucial it is that schools focus on making their admissions processes fairer. The analysis also shows that there is no correlation between the overall attainment in a local authority and the level of social segregation in its schools, suggesting that there would be no negative impact on performance if investing in social diversity.

Not only is this a cost-effective strategy to close the attainment gap, but a socially balanced, inclusive and diverse school better prepares our young people for life in modern Britain. It also levels the playing field for schools, giving them an equal chance of securing good outcomes and recruiting and retaining staff.

At the Sutton Trust, we’re working with schools to support them in their journey to fairer school admissions. By joining our Fair School Admissions Pledge, schools gain access to a wealth of free resources and expertise on the best way to carry out a Fair Access Review and the crucial changes they should be making to improve the inclusiveness of their admissions process.

One of the most effective ways to improve the social diversity within a school is to include pupil premium students in oversubscription priority criteria. The Schools Admissions Code currently allows for the use of pupil premium status as an oversubscription criterion and we encourage more schools - particularly high-performing schools - to implement this to create a more socially balanced intake and better reflect their local communities.

It is also important for school leaders to ensure that, wherever possible, they remove unnecessary costs which can act as potential

Interactive map – available on Sutton Trust website

Figure 3. School type

“Academy converters are shown to be one of the most socially selective types, while sponsored academies tend to take much higher levels of FSM than live in their catchment areas.”

It can be filtered by school type, GCSE performance measures Progress 8 and Attainment 8, and there is a quick search function to find individual schools.

Depending on the level of zoom, it can show overall national patterns, as well as detail on the dynamics in intakes at a local level.

The map is drawn from the same data as ‘Selective Comprehensives 2024’, and reflects its findings. Figure 1 shows the overall breakdown in categories. About half of schools take in fewer FSM pupils than their local area, with about a third of schools having a small negative gap, 17% with a larger gap, and about 1% having a gap of 15 percentage points or more. 29% of schools have a small positive gap with their area, 20% a larger positive gap, and 2% have FSM levels more than 15 percentage points higher than their area.

Figure 1. Distribution of positive and negative FSM gaps 35%

Converter academies

Sponsored academies

Local authority controlled

Voluntary aided (faith schools)

32% 29%

30% 25% 20%

20%

17%

15% 10% 5%

2%

1%

0% +15% and above

+5% to 14.9% 0% to +4.9% 0% to -4.9% -5% to -14.9%

Positive gaps

P. 3

-15% and below

Negative gaps

The Sutton Trust – Social Selection on the Map

P. 5

financial barriers to attendance, such as expensive uniforms, extensive equipment lists or expansive costs for trips or extracurricular activities. Where this isn’t possible, schools should look to give financial support to lower income families, clearly advertising this on the admissions pages of their website and at open days.

Primary and secondary schools should collaborate better to ensure that parents are well-informed before making school choices. This is particularly important when it comes to their rights to free transport to school, which often go under the radar. To ensure that low-income parents feel financially confident in sending their child to a particular school, leaders should ensure parents are made aware of the support available and that

72 | EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S P R I N G 2 02 5

The Sutton Trust – Social Selection on the Map

it is written in a clear and easily accessible manner.

While school admissions are only part of the solution in closing the significant gaps between disadvantaged young people and their peers, having a better mix of pupils helps level the playing field for all families.

With 90% of secondary schools now responsible for their own admissions policies, schools have the power to ensure that all young people have a fair opportunity to unlock their potential.

CHARLOTTE O’REGAN Senior Schools Engagement Manager www.suttontrust.com TURN BACK TO PAGES 48 - 50 to read about empowering girls at JAGS, Dulwich

SUPPORTING STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

The Right Help at the Right Time

How an online service is tackling mental health problems at an early stage in schools

One in five young people in the UK has a probable mental health disorder. That’s around six students in every classroom.

The lasting impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns, increasing poverty, climate anxiety and the rapid evolution of the digital world are just some issues reshaping young lives. This is reflected by the steady increase in children and young people in contact with mental health services, with requests for support doubling since 2018.

When mental health issues go unsupported, they can become entrenched. Getting young people the right support at the right time is vital and Anna Freud – a mental health charity for children and young people - wants to see a greater focus on early intervention to stop problems escalating.

As the place young people spend most of their time, schools and colleges can help support their students’ wellbeing by creating an environment that nurtures mental health. School staff – who see students most

days - can play a crucial role in early intervention. They are not mental health professionals and should never be expected to act as such, but they are well-placed to spot changes in behaviour that might indicate whether targeted support is needed.

Anna Freud has developed an online mental health service focused on making early mental health support as accessible as possible. The Schools and Colleges Early Support Service delivers vital wellbeing support to students experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health difficulties, helping to prevent issues from escalating.

Through oneto-one sessions, specialist mental health practitioners use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques to help equip young people with practical, guided self-help strategies. Young people are encouraged to explore

what they want help with and to agree personalised goals with their practitioner. This approach empowers young people to support their own wellbeing in the long-term by giving them tools that can last a lifetime.

The service also helps schools and colleges build networks of support around their students by providing one-to-one support and resources for staff, parents and carers. This ensures that young people’s wellbeing is nurtured by the trusted adults around them, at school and at home.

Rahi Popat, a pastoral support officer at a school enrolled on the service, said: “Anna Freud’s Schools and Colleges Early Support service has been monumental - I would go as far as to say life-changing - in terms of the impact it’s made on the ground for our students and staff, but also parents and carers” Find out more about the service: www.annafreud.org/schools-andcolleges-early-support-service GEORGIA TILLEY PR Manager www.annafreud.org

EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S PRI NG 2025 | 73

OPEN DAYS AT BRIGHTON

Plan a trip to Brighton and explore one of Time Out’s 50 best cities in the world and top 3 in the UK. Find out about your course and picture yourself studying in our big-hearted city by the sea.

What to expect: • hear from current students about their experience • find out about work-based learning, placements and study abroad opportunities • see the specialised learning facilities and tour the libraries and gyms.

Book here: brighton.ac.uk/ opendays2025

Breaking down barriers so students can achieve their full potential Our Foundation Year business courses are designed to provide an accessible pathway into higher education for students who do not meet the standard entry-level requirements for degree-level study.

All students who are selected to study on the course are provided with a scholarship to cover the full tuition fees of the Foundation Year.

Find out more at wbs.ac.uk/go/FY

Discover University for Parents and Supporters We understand how important it is for parents and supporters to be well equipped to support their young person’s journey to higher education. Our dedicated Discover University webpages, newsletters and social media feeds will provide the key information needed at each stage of the journey.

We host online webinars throughout the year specifically for supporters coving topics such as financing higher education, applying to university, making the most of an open day and becoming a student.

To attend any of our virtual events or receive our supporter's newsletter visit www.exeter.ac.uk/supporters

HEADER

CONTACT

EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S P R I N G 2 02 5