Special Interest Group
Working together for a whole-education approach to mental health and wellbeing
The Mental Health, Wellbeing and Education SIG (launched in 2018) provides a dynamic and inclusive forum for academics, practitioners, researchers, students, and others passionate about education. This SIG offers a creative and eclectic range of events, publications and social media resources for the broad education community to engage in conversations about mental health and wellbeing, share their experiences, exchange knowledge, disseminate research findings, and forge new networks and collaborations. The global Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated a pre-existing mental health crisis which is tangible across education settings and the work of our SIG continues to grow in scope and impact in response to an ever-changing educational landscape.
Mental Health on Record: A film created by young people
‘Mental Health on Record’ is a stop-motion animation film made by a group of young people which explores how contemporary views on mental health can be used to interpret historical records from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The project was run by the Education team at the National Archives in partnership with Richmond Borough Mind.
This film can be used to support KS3 and KS4 Health Education elements of the PSHE curriculum. You can view the video in full by following the link below and explore the lesson activities provided on the National Archives web pages: https://nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/mental-health-on-record/
Follow this link to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcl1kIjAfGk&feature=emb_title
Looking after your self-ie: A guide to finding your balance on and offline
The Royal Society for Public health (RSPH) has developed a free, open access e-learning Looking after your self-ie: A guide to finding your balance on and offline, which aims to help social media users to build a meaningful, more balanced relationship with platforms. The programme focusses on awareness-raising; encouraging meaningful use by educating users on the potential harms and benefits of social media. Relevant to members of the public of all ages, the resource explores social media’s impact on loneliness, relationships, self-image, self-esteem, sleep, online trolling and bullying.
To access the guide, click on the following link: https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-services/e-learning/courses/free-courses/rsph-learn-looking-after-your-selfie.html
Twitter Meets:
We host regular ‘chats’ on Twitter. Each chat is focused on a specific theme. In each chat, we post a series of questions for participants to respond to. The discussions are often lively and informal.
Examples of recent themes have included:
We would like to run more of these during 2023/24. If you would like to contribute to these, or if you have ideas for suitable topics, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Research Fellow at Loughborough University
Anthea Rose is a research fellow at the Lincoln Academy of Learning and Teaching (LALT), University of Lincoln. She is currently leading the local Lincolnshire evaluation of the Uni Connect programme, funded by the Office for Students (OfS),...
Researcher/Senior Lecturer at University of Roehampton
Michelle Jayman is a developmental psychologist with a strong background in education and extensive work experience in schools. She is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Roehampton and a Champion for the British Psychological...
Rosalind Hollis Professor of Education for Social Justice at University of Hull
Jonathan Glazzard is the Rosalind Hollis Professor of Education for Social Justice at the University of Hull. He researches LGBTQ+, mental health, disability and early literacy. In 2018, he became co-convenor of the BERA SIG for Mental Health...
Head of School - School of Education at Leeds Trinity University
Aimee is Head of the School of Education at Leeds Trinity University, a member of BERA Council, one of the BERA SIG leads for Mental Health and Wellbeing, and a member of the BERA Conference and Events Committee. Her research interests are...
Doctoral Researcher at University of Hertfordshire
Beth is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Hertfordshire, interested in the changing nature of the headteacher role and challenges leaders face in promoting social justice and health in their school communities. She has a background in...
This award celebrates the publication of educational research and is awarded to a scholarly book on education deemed to be high quality, engaging and innovative.
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We, like many of you, have been very interested in Ofsted’s current consultation on proposed changes to their inspections in England, following the biggest consultation Ofsted has ever...
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