Cornwall Schools’ Wellbeing Hub Newsletter 10th July 2026
Friday 10th July 2026
Welcome to the Wellbeing Newsletter
Find out more about the Cornwall Schools’ Wellbeing Hub and the support / resources / tools available to support “a Whole School, trauma informed, relational Approach to Wellbeing that is ‘Everybody’s Business’".
Welcome
It was a joy to hear that Patrice Lawrence is to be the new Children’s Laureate. Her inaugural speech focused on belonging and how stories can connect us to different worlds and to each other.
“During my tenure as Waterstones Children’s Laureate, I will champion the power of books to make us feel like we belong, and shared stories as a tool for bringing people together. We are living in a divided world where many people feel isolated, we need this now, more than ever.”
Patrice Lawrence writes for children of all ages and in a range of genres. Her work often centres on the experiences of young people today in a series of stories that are in turns funny, imaginative, powerful and often deeply moving.
To celebrate our books of the week are books by Patrice:
Book of the Week
Needle (11+)
Needle explores the harsh reality of the criminal justice system for young people in this riveting teen drama. Charlene is a demon knitter. It’s the only thing she enjoys and the only thing she believes she’s really good at. So, when her foster mum’s son destroys her latest creation, Charlene loses it and stabs him in the hand with her knitting needle. It damages a nerve and she gets sucked into the criminal justice system for assault. Charlene's not sorry and she’s never apologised to anyone in her life. But people keep telling her that if she says sorry, they’ll go easier on her. Can she bring herself to say it and not mean it when her freedoms at stake?
Charlene has been separated by from her sister Kandi for 2 years since their mum died. Kandi went to live with her birth dad, but no one knows who her dad is so Charlene goes into foster care. Charlene knits and she’s incredibly good at it. She knits when she's stressed, (and she’s often stressed) and she's knitting a dinosaur blanket for Kandi without knowing even she will be able to get to her. When Blake her foster mum's son deliberately wrecks the blanket she stabs him in the hand with one of her needles. and things begin to spiral out of control for Charlene. She ends up in a police cell and will be removed from the foster home that she had finally settled into. Can she say sorry? Will anyone listen to her story. All Charlene wants is a chance to be with the sister she loves dearly and no-one seems to hear until Shelley, a lawyer brought in to support her at police interview, hears what she has to say and helps her find the words to finally say sorry… Immensely moving and powerful. Highly recommended.
The Elemental Detectives (8+)
Welcome to eighteenth-century London, where there are four Elemental spirits that most humans know nothing about: the fiery Dragons, airy Fumis, earthbound Magogs and the watery Chads. Marisee’s grandmother is the Keeper of the Wells and regularly talks to the Chads. But now she’s disappeared, just as a sleeping sickness overtakes London. The infected people breathe out a yellow cloud and dream of everything they’ve ever wanted. But some are awake and chasing Marisee, controlled by a mysterious Shepherdess, who wants to find Marisee’s grandmother.
Twelve-year-old Robert Strong is a slave of the Hibbert family. Torn from his family on the plantation in Barbados, he is forced to wait on Lady Hibbert in London. When he helps Marisee escape some attacking sleepers, he discovers a world of Elemental spirits, serpents in the Serpentine and ghosts in Hyde Park.
Together, Marisee and Robert must find her grandmother and defeat the sinister Shepherdess. But what price will they have to pay?
Each chapter alternates between Marisee’s and Robert’s point of view, and the action never flags. This is an inventive mix of historical accuracy and magical elements.
We chose The Elemental Detectives to demonstrate the range of Patrice’s writing. It is a great read. A real page turner and a truly exciting adventure story reminiscent of Joan Aitken or Diana Wynne-Jones. We loved it. Highly recommended.
For more book suggestions on a range of topics, please visit our Headstart Wellbeing Book Club
This week's Headstart highlight!
Healthy Schools Support - Headstart Kernow
Headstart Kernow’s Healthy Schools Support offer helps schools develop and strengthen a whole‑school approach to emotional health and wellbeing. Drawing on evidence‑based practice, the support includes guidance, resources and tools to help schools embed wellbeing across their culture, policies and everyday practice, while promoting inclusion, resilience and positive outcomes for children and young people.
Find out more about Headstart Kernow’s Healthy Schools Support offer here.
Headstart’s Digital Resilience Resource of the Week
Staffroom Poster: Supporting Online Safety Conversations
This week’s featured resource is a staffroom poster designed to support consistent and confident online safety messaging across your team. It outlines three key principles to guide conversations with young people, moving away from directive ‘just don’t do it’ approaches. Feedback from young people highlights that such messaging can discourage them from seeking support when issues arise online. This resource supports a more open and supportive dialogue.
Download the poster here: Digi top tips update
My Brilliant Summer 2026 is Here!
The HeadStart Kernow team has been working behind the scenes on this year's My Brilliant Summer magazine, our summer wellbeing resource for children, young people and families, and we're delighted to share that it's now live!
Built around the Five Ways to Wellbeing, this year's edition is packed with practical activities, wellbeing tools, local opportunities and inspiration to help families connect, get active, take notice, give, and make time for themselves and each other throughout the summer.
As schools prepare for the end of term, My Brilliant Summer 2026 offers a valuable resource to share with pupils and families. To help spread the word, schools are encouraged to display the accompanying poster in a visible location, where the QR code can direct children, young people, parents and carers straight to the magazine. You can also download your own free copies and help families start planning their most brilliant summer yet!
Activities for Families Booklets : Headstart Kernow
FREE Cornwall Reading Challenge 2026 - Extraordinary Explorers
The Cornwall Reading Challenge returns this summer, running from 11 July to 12 September, with a new Extraordinary Explorers theme. Free to join through local libraries, the challenge offers two pathways: The Reading Quest for children who want to read six books over the summer, and the One and All Challenge, a fully inclusive option designed to ensure every child can take part and succeed, whatever their reading ability or needs. Children receive a free swim voucher when they sign up, with certificates, medals and other rewards available for those who complete the challenge. Last year, more than 8,500 children across Cornwall took part.
We’ve made it quick and easy to share with the children you support by creating some resources
- Downloadable posters to share
- A newsletter/social media asset and blurb/copy to put on your communication channels
- Ready-to-send parent/carer letter to encourage their support
Time2Move Holiday Programme - Active Cornwall
The Time2Move Holiday Programme returns this summer, offering fun activities and healthy food for children and young people aged 5-16 across Cornwall. Funded through the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF), Time2Move provides a wide range of opportunities during the school holidays, helping children stay active, build friendships and support their wellbeing. The programme is primarily available to children eligible for benefits‑related free school meals, with some providers also offering additional paid places.
Find out more about the Time2Move Holiday Programme and activities available this summer here.
End of Term Activities Pack - PlanBee
PlanBee’s End of Term Activities Pack provides a collection of engaging classroom activities designed to celebrate the end of the school year while keeping pupils motivated and involved. The pack includes creative challenges, collaborative tasks and reflective activities, making it a useful resource for teachers looking for structured, low‑preparation ideas during the final weeks of term.
Find out more about the End of Term Activities Pack here.
End of Term Transition Activities - ELSA support
ELSA Support has created a collection of end of term transition activities to help children and young people prepare for change in a positive and reflective way. These resources encourage pupils to celebrate achievements, reflect on memories, express feelings about moving on and build confidence for the next stage of their journey.
Find out more about ELSA Support’s end of term transition activities here.
Education Endowment Fund
Guide to Inclusive Teaching | EEF
🌟 Introducing the EEF Guide to Inclusive Teaching
EEF have just launched the EEF Guide to Inclusive Teaching. It’s designed to support you to help every pupil participate and succeed in school.
The guide contains evidence-informed advice for supporting all pupils, including those with additional needs. There is a strong section on universal approaches which includes strong relationships building amongst other things.
Pooky Knightsmith updates
When a child shuts down - Webinar Video with Ian Hunkin
When a child shuts down it can feel like the shutters have come down and there's no way back in. You're left guessing whether to give space, step closer, or simply wait. Ian works through seven quick wins for exactly those moments, and the thread running through all of them is that shut down is a nervous system response to overwhelm. Not defiance. Not switching off to wind you up. A brain and body doing their best to cope.
A few of the ideas that stuck with me:
Provide felt safety
Not telling a child they're safe, but helping them sense it in their body
Create a path back
Shut down isn't the hard part, the return is, and a child needs a gentle way home
Be curious, not furious
When you lead with curiosity you notice things you'd otherwise miss
7 Quick Wins: Supporting the Child Who Shuts Down
VIDEO: Understanding Neuroception
Neuroception is Stephen Porges' term for something our nervous systems do constantly: scan for safety or threat below the level of conscious awareness. From the moment we're born, we look to trusted adults to know whether we're safe. A baby reads their caregiver's calm voice and relaxed body language as signals that the world is okay right now.
VIDEO: Understanding Neuroception | Pooky Knightsmith on Patreon
Download: Reasonable adjustments bank for autistic and ADHD students
When a child arrives at a new school, or has just had a diagnosis, the people around them often find themselves asking the same question: what might actually help? This is a bank of reasonable adjustments to start that conversation, gathered in one place so you have somewhere to begin.
It covers the whole school day, not just the classroom, because so much of what trips a child up happens at break, in the canteen, in assemblies, on the corridor and in the toilets. For each adjustment you'll find what it can help with, what it looks like in practice and, perhaps the part I'm proudest of, an honest look at what the evidence says.
A bank of reasonable adjustments for autistic and ADHD students.docx
Reasonable adjustments conversation starter.docx
NCA Guidance to Parents: Children's Images Online
In line with the guidance to schools, the National Crime Agency and the Internet Watch Foundation have now issued guidance for parents.
AI is being used to turn ordinary photos of children into sexual abuse material. The National Crime Agency and Internet Watch Foundation have issued new guidance to help parents make informed choices about sharing images of their children online. It covers reviewing privacy settings, revisiting consent with your child as they grow, and what to do if you're worried.
The parent's guidance can be found here: https://www.iwf.org.uk/resources/ai-child-abuse-imagery-parent-guide/
Childline activity packs
NSPCC Learning has published summer activity packs for running sessions with children and young people to celebrate Childline’s 40th year of service and help children learn more about how to get support if they need it. There are packs for 5- to 11-year-olds and 12- to 16-year-olds containing presentation slides, session guidance and printable activities. The packs are suitable for all settings, including schools, summer groups and clubs outside of school.
Download the packs: Celebrating 40 years of Childline
Anna Freud - School in Mind newsletter
Pilot the new Schools in Mind healthy relationships resources
We're developing a new set of resources for Year 7/8 focused on healthy relationships, including navigating friendships, managing conflict and building positive wellbeing. We're looking for schools to pilot these resources and share their feedback before the end of term(!). Your feedback will help us refine the resources before they're launched more widely.
If your school is interested in supporting with this, please contact schoolsinmind@annafreud.org
Be Happy - Resource Freebie
As we gear up for the summer break, this week's freebie is all about helping children build positive wellbeing through fun, meaningful experiences. Introducing our Summer Feelings Bucket List!
Rather than focussing solely on ticking off activities, this printable encourages children to reflect on how their experiences make them feel, helping them develop their emotional vocabulary and recognise the wide range of positive emotions they can experience
Featuring nine simple and achievable activities, children are encouraged to practise kindness, try something new, set a goal, spend time in nature, create happy memories and much more!
Download here: Summer Feelings Bucket List - A Fun Summer Wellbeing Challenge - FREE! - Be Happy Resources
The lead indicator for secondary girls' attendance.
New research from Professor John Jerrim, published this week.
In secondary, when girls' peer relationships fall to very low levels, their unauthorised absences rise sharply.
Read more Why peer relationships matter for secondary girls' attendance | The Engagement Platform (TEP)
Full report - The Engagement Platform
Charlie Waller Trust
Free webinar: Sleep and Mental Health in Young People
Wednesday 22 July, 12.30pm - 1.15pm
In this webinar, Associate Professor in Psychology, Dr Faith Orchard shares her research on the powerful link between poor sleep and mental health in young people, with a focus on early intervention of sleep difficulties. Faith is involved in several programmes of research exploring different approaches to working on sleep difficulties including brief online programmes, school-based workshops, and one to one CBT for Insomnia.
Resource: Supporting children’s transition to secondary school
Moving from Year 6 to Year 7 can bring up a big mix of emotions, including feeling nervous and excited.
The summer holidays are a great time to start preparing your young people (and yourselves) for the transition!
Our resource provides tips from parents and carers with lived experience of supporting young people struggling with their mental health and covers everything from keeping a sense of familiarity in the first few weeks to helping with organisation and social media boundaries.
Download our updated Creative Education membership information fliers with access links for:
Stay in touch: Check out our training and other support and sign up for the occasional newsletter.
And follow us on our page on the Services for Schools platform.