Cornwall Schools’ Wellbeing Hub Newsletter 16th October 2026
Friday 16th October 2026
Welcome to the Wellbeing Newsletter
Find out more about Headstart’s 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
Resilience: Are we asking the right questions?
How can schools help children develop resilience without placing the responsibility entirely on their shoulders?
A thought-provoking Tes article, The kids aren’t alright: is resilience to blame?, challenges some familiar assumptions about resilience, grit and growth mindset.
While helping children cope with challenges and setbacks remains important, research suggests that programmes designed specifically to 'teach resilience' have mixed results. Crucially, resilience isn't simply a personal quality that children either have or lack. It is shaped by their experiences, relationships and circumstances, including the environment schools create around them.
The article highlights a more promising approach: developing the building blocks of resilience through social and emotional learning (SEL).
Skills such as understanding and managing emotions, empathy, problem-solving, relationship-building and responsible decision-making can help children navigate everyday challenges. But these skills need to be supported by positive relationships, a sense of belonging, opportunities to practise and a school culture where children feel safe enough to make mistakes and try again.
How can Brilliant ME in Action help?
Our Brilliant ME resources offer practical, flexible ways for primary schools to develop these foundations, including:
- Emotional literacy and self-regulation – helping children understand their feelings and explore strategies that work for them.
- Character strengths – recognising and developing the qualities children already possess, while appreciating strengths in others.
- Belonging and relationships – strengthening connection, empathy and the sense that everyone matters.
- Oracy and reflection – creating opportunities to talk, listen, explore challenges and learn together.
Rather than offering a quick fix, Brilliant ME can help schools build on what they already do well, through everyday interactions, classroom activities and wider school practice.
Join us at our upcoming introduction to the Brilliant ME in Action resources – details below.
Wellbeing Book of the Week
Trauma Informed Approaches in Schools: A guide for Mental Health Leads by Gemma Fieldsend and Jessica Parker
From the back cover
Lead the way in creating a trauma-sensitive school environment where students feel safe, supported and able to thrive.
This essential guide equips newly qualified Senior Mental Health Leads (SMHLs) with the knowledge and tools to get to grips with the broad remit of the role.
Covering responsibilities from safeguarding and policy development to collaboration with teachers, parents and professionals, this book outlines practical strategies for embedding a whole school approach to trauma-informed working. With reflective exercises, training needs assessments and action plans, this book will give you the confidence to devise and implement effective trauma-informed practices.
Alongside student-focused content, this book offers methods to reduce staff workload, prevent burnout when working with traumatised students and promote mental health and resilience.
Our thoughts
You could fill a sizeable shelf with all the books published in the last few years that cover the same ground. This one has much to commend it.
It has:
- a thoughtful and substantial section on staff wellbeing as the foundation for everything else
- practical and pragmatic ways to turn policy into practice
- practical tools and resources for MH Leads (all downloadable for free from the publisher's website)
- diverse, real-world case studies that make the book accessible
What this book does, like the many others available, is assume that the school has a MH Lead, that they have sufficient time and energy to lead and that they are part of the SLT and able to influence policy and practice.
Worth a look.
This week's Headstart highlights
Brilliant Me in Action! An introduction
Webinar 16.00 - 17.30
22nd October OR 3rd November
A webinar introducing Brilliant Me in Action and the free resources behind it.
Schools are navigating significant change, alongside growing and increasingly complex needs around belonging, attendance, inclusion, wellbeing, RSHE and Oracy.
But schools don’t need another initiative. They need flexible, practical resources that can respond to where they are now and build from there.
Brilliant Me in Action! offers just that.
In the webinar, we’ll introduce the Brilliant Me approach centred around Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and explore how the resources can support schools to:
- strengthen belonging and connection
- support attendance and engagement
- develop inclusive practice
- build Oracy and communication
- nurture wellbeing and positive relationships
- support RSHE and respond to the particular needs, priorities and context of your school
There is no one-size-fits-all starting point. Brilliant Me is intended to meet schools where they’re at - whether you are beginning to explore these areas, building on existing work, or looking for ways to bring different priorities together.
Anna Freud – Seen, heard and supported: A report from the Settling into Secondary School programme
This is a powerful new insight into primary to secondary transition. The report highlights why toilets and isolation alongside feeling overwhelmed and high levels of distrust are key barriers to Year 7 belonging.
Headstart Access to Creative Education
As you may have heard the access schools have had to Creative Education through HeadStart will be closing on the 31st October.
Creative Education are keen to continue working with schools that accessed the platform:
Working with schools across Cornwall has been a highlight for us, and we'd love to keep supporting your team. So we've put together something special, just for former Headstart Kernow schools:
- Discounted rates to keep whole-school access going for all your staff
- Complimentary parent and carer membership, so families can learn alongside you
A quick reminder of what's included
Our membership gives your whole team access to over 500 on-demand CPD courses, created by experts who know the realities of school life. With membership, you'll get:
- Courses covering safeguarding, SEMH, SEND, leadership, AI and much more
- Bite-sized, on-demand learning your staff can fit around their week
- Certificates of completion to evidence CPD
- New courses added regularly, so your training stays current
That means your whole school community, staff, parents and carers, all with access to our training and resources.
Getting started couldn't be simpler. Just reply and let us know how many staff you'd like covered, and we'll get a tailored quote over to you as soon as possible.
Contact: sophie.beresford@creativeeducation.co.uk. If you'd like a chat first, give us a ring on 020 8680 4077. We're always happy to help.
Other Exciting FREE Headstart Training Opportunities
SPACE - FREE training: Supporting Parents and Children Emotionally
1 December - 3 December 2026 Online
Following the 3-day course with our partners at Rock Pool CIC, facilitators are equipped to deliver a five-week SPACE programme for parents and carers and/or children and young people within their own settings, helping to strengthen relationships, connections and emotional wellbeing across the school community. Please see the attached for more information.
Spaces are limited, therefore if you would like to register your interest, please do so as soon as you can by emailing space@cornwall.gov.uk
Supporting Military-Connected Children in Cornwall Schools
A new programme of whole-school training is being launched to help staff better understand and support children and young people from Armed Forces families. Delivered in partnership with HeadStart Kernow, Cornwall Council and Active Plus, the training is designed to increase awareness of the experience's military-connected children may face, including frequent school moves, parental deployment, family separation and disrupted learning.
Open to all school staff, the sessions will explore the military child experience, recognise emotional, social and academic needs, and share practical strategies for creating a military-friendly school culture. The training promotes a whole-school approach, recognising that every member of staff has a role to play in helping military-connected pupils feel safe, understood and supported.
Who should attend? Teachers, teaching assistants, pastoral and safeguarding staff, SENCOs, senior leaders, reception and office staff, catering teams, site staff, supervisors and anyone working with children and young people in school settings.
The training will be delivered over 2 hours, in person or x2 1 hour sessions.
To book or find out more please email: tracy.bowers@cornwall.gov.uk
CAPA First Response and HeadStart Kernow: Understanding Child-to-Parent/Carer Aggression and Harm
Wednesday 25 November, 3.30pm to 5.00pm | Online
This free online session from CAPA First Response and HeadStart Kernow explores Child-to-Parent Aggression (CPA) through a trauma-informed lens. Designed for professionals working with children, young people and families, the session will help participants understand the impact of CPA, explore what may be driving these behaviours, and develop practical strategies to support children, young people, parents and carers.
Participants will gain greater confidence in recognising and responding to CPA, while considering how behaviours may present differently at home, in school and within the wider community.
Please see the attached flyer for further information and booking details.
Supporting Young People with SEND Online
Supporting young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in their digital lives can sometimes feel challenging. To help, HeadStart has developed a SEND Digital Resilience Guidance resource, designed to support parents, carers, educators and professionals to take a consistent approach to online safety and wellbeing.
Adapted from the HeadStart Digital Resilience Tool, the guidance offers practical advice, conversation prompts and useful strategies to help young people build safe and positive digital experiences.
Find out more and access the guidance here
Free Resource Hub for Schools and Education Staff
Looking for high-quality, evidence-informed resources to support pupil wellbeing and mental health? Mentally Healthy Schools, developed by Anna Freud, offers a free online resource hub packed with lesson plans, toolkits, activities and guidance for primary, secondary and further education settings. The resource library includes materials on topics such as anxiety, relationships, neurodiversity, inclusion, wellbeing, staff wellbeing and mental health awareness.
The website also includes a dedicated hub for mental health leads, supporting schools to develop and embed a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, aligned with national guidance and best practice.
Autistic Masking at Home: Supporting Children Who Hold It Together at School
Many autistic children appear to cope well throughout the school day, only to struggle emotionally once they get home. In this practical resource, Dr Pooky Knightsmith explores autistic masking, helping parents and professionals understand why some children "hold it together" at school before becoming overwhelmed in a place where they feel safe enough to let the mask come off.
The resource explores what masking can cost autistic children and shares practical strategies to support transitions after school, reduce everyday pressures, recognise signs of overwhelm and strengthen communication between home and school. It offers valuable insights for teachers, SENCOs, support staff and anyone working alongside families of autistic children.
Healthy Schools Update: School Food, Oral Health, Workforce Wellbeing and More
The latest Cornwall Healthy Schools Update highlights a range of resources, guidance and opportunities to support whole-school health and wellbeing. This edition includes a spotlight on school food and nutrition, oral health, workforce wellbeing and other key priorities within the Healthy Schools Framework.
The Healthy Schools Toolkit has been developed to help schools create environments where children, young people and staff can thrive. Covering six core themes, including emotional health and wellbeing, physical activity, health protection and workforce wellbeing, the toolkit provides practical ideas, resources and actions that schools can use as part of their wider improvement and wellbeing plans.
Young Parents' Experiences of Belonging in School Communities
A trainee Child, Community and Educational Psychologist from the University of Exeter is seeking participants for a research study exploring how young parents experience belonging within their child's school community, and how school staff understand and support them.
The study aims to explore an important but under-researched area, helping to develop a greater understanding of the links between parental belonging, wellbeing and educational outcomes for children and families.
Researchers are looking to speak with:
- Young parents with children attending mainstream primary schools
- Members of staff working in mainstream primary schools
Participation involves a confidential interview of up to one hour. Participation is entirely voluntary, anonymous and confidential.
Schools and settings are invited to share this opportunity through their usual communication channels, such as newsletters, email bulletins, noticeboards and social media.
Please see the attached recruitment posters and participant information for further details on the study and how to take part.
Stay in touch: Sign up to Headstart’s Cornwall Schools Wellbeing Hub, 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.