Investing in Pupil Mental Health: A Win for Everyone
When schools invest in children’s mental health early, the benefits go far beyond the classroom. The positive impact ripples out, supporting families, easing pressure on staff, reducing the burden on health and social care services, and even improving outcomes across the wider community.
Prevention isn’t just about helping individual pupils. It’s about building stronger, more resilient communities where support is embedded, needs are identified early, and everyone benefits.
This blog explores how whole-school, preventative mental health approaches create long-lasting change and why collaboration is key.
A Thriving Community Starts with Mentally Healthy Children
The early years of primary school play a pivotal role in shaping a child’s lifelong mental health. Research consistently shows that strong emotional development leads to better academic outcomes, improved physical health, and better prospects later in life.
But when emotional needs go unmet, the ripple effect can be damaging:
🚨 Increased family stress and strain on home life
🚨 More behavioural challenges in class, disrupting learning for everyone
🚨 Greater reliance on CAMHS and social care due to unmanaged mental health difficulties
🚨 Long-term economic impacts, from reduced life chances to increased public spending on services
By embedding preventative mental health support into primary schools, we can break this cycle and prepare pupils, families, and communities for success.
📊 Stat Spotlight:
For every £1 spent on early prevention, we’ve proven a 35x return on investment in later intervention costs.
Collaboration Makes the Difference: Working Together to Support Children
No one sector can do this alone. Preventative strategies become even more powerful when schools collaborate with local services, from health to family support.
How Multi-Agency Approaches Strengthen Communities:
🔹 Stronger Links Between Schools and Health Professionals
Regular collaboration with school nurses, mental health teams, and other professionals helps spot and support emotional needs early before they escalate.
🔹 Smoother Transitions from Early Years Settings
When children arrive in Reception having already developed emotional literacy and resilience, classrooms are calmer and learning starts strong. Schools that work closely with nurseries and families see the most significant benefits.
🔹 Family Support That Builds Resilience
Proactive emotional well-being support helps families feel more connected, confident, and supported, reducing crises and long-term involvement from social care.
🔹 Local Authorities Driving System-Wide Impact
Forward-thinking local authorities are now investing in whole-school preventative approaches as part of wider strategies to improve outcomes and reduce service demand.
Case Study: Embedding myHappymind across 120 schools in West Yorkshire
One local authority partnered with us to implement our preventative programme across 120 primary schools in West Yorkshire.
✅ Within the first academic year, they saw:
🔹 A 35 x ROI
🔹 £11.5 million saved for the NHS and local authority
🔹 936 children prevented from needing a referral to specialist services
🔹 1,440 children with improved attendance
🔹 Stronger families, improved mental wellbeing in staff and a calmer and happier school
“myHappymind has encouraged children with poor attendance to attend because they are looking forward to their myHappymind session. It has helped children to self-regulate, e.g., by using Happy Breathing and talking about what is happening in their brains.”
Head Teacher
Dalton School Junior and Infant Nursery
Why Prevention Pays Off for Everyone
Investing in proactive mental health support isn’t just the right thing to do, it makes financial and social sense, too.
🔹 Reduced demand for NHS services – fewer children reaching crisis point
🔹 Stronger, more stable families – less need for reactive interventions
🔹 Better education outcomes – fewer exclusions, calmer classrooms
🔹 A future-ready workforce – emotionally resilient pupils become confident, capable adults
📊 Stat Spotlight:
A study by the London School of Economics found that early mental health support has one of the highest returns on investment in public health.
Now’s the Time to Prioritise Prevention
The evidence is clear: when we invest in mental health prevention at the primary level, the impact lasts far beyond the school gates.
It supports staff. It empowers families. It builds resilient communities.
Let’s Work Together to Create That Ripple Effect
A thriving community starts with emotionally healthy children. Let’s build it together.
💬 Talk to us about a whole-school approach:
My Happy Mind: Help your child build life-long confidence and resilience
By Laura Earnshaw
My Happy Mind is the first book from our founder Laura Earnshaw. The book reveals all the science-backed secrets used in our curriculum to empower and educate parents — whether your child is struggling already, or you’re interested in future proofing their mental health, there’s something in here for everyone.
You Can Do Anything!:
Find your happiness. Chase your dreams. Be unstoppable.
Written in collaboration with laura earnshaw
Whether it’s sport, art, maths or just spending time with friends, this book will help young readers discover what it is they love and how they can harness this to achieve whatever they want in life.
Written in collaboration with children’s mental health expert Laura Earnshaw, this empowering book is packed full of Jonnie’s own stories alongside practical tips, tricks and journaling opportunities.
