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The Whole Student Approach

Focusing on the whole student is a crucial part of implementing a whole school approach for mental health and wellbeing.

Connectedness and success at school for all students are important protective factors for mental health. This module explores strategies to build relationships and realistic expectations, social and emotional skills and spiritual understandings and authentic participation for all students. The whole student holistic approach to mental health and wellbeing encompasses four components:

• caring relationships and connections
• high but achievable expectations
• authentic participation and contribution
• social and emotional skills and spiritual understandings.

Aspects of community beliefs and attitudes help to combine with these 4 areas to provide a continuum of connection for all students with school, learning and their peers.

These components help connect students with their learning.

Schools can provide support for young people's mental health and wellbeing. This is an important protective factor which enhances individual resilience to mental illness. A range of strategies employed within the school, such as the role of teachers in pastoral care and key academic and extracurricular opportunities, are explored in this focus module.