Cornwall Schools’ Wellbeing Hub Newsletter 24th April 2026
Friday 24th April 2026
Welcome to the Wellbeing Newsletter
We hope you had a restful Easter break and we wish you a safe, stress-free, successful new term.
Book of the Week
The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow
As thoughts turn to transitions including the often huge step from primary to secondary our book of the week is this super verse novel following a boy in his final year of primary school, navigating family change, friendship and growing responsibility.
Life can be tough in your last year of primary school. Tests to take, preparing for the change to high school. Nate is ready for it all, knowing his best friend PS is at his side - they’ve been inseparable since Nursery. But when they are put in two different classes and PS finds a new friend in Turner, the school bully, Nate's world turns upside-down. As he struggles to make sense of this and forge new friendships, he’s dealt another blow when his youngest brother, Dylan is rushed into hospital. His new teacher, Mr Joshua, sees a spark inside of Nate that’s lit by his love of reading and writing and shows him how to use this to process what’s going on. But with so much working against him, and anger rising inside him, will this be enough? A powerful and lyrical story about finding your place in the world and the people that matter within it.
A hugely lucky find. A brilliant extended prose poem beautifully written and involving. Everyone who's ever worked in a school has met a Nate and school staff like Mr Joshua. The descriptions of the residential trip and SATS preparation are very accurate in their telling. It is a super introduction to themes like bullying, being a young carer, friendship and grief. It feels unusual to come across a book that has a family like Nate's at its heart and at the same time have reading (e.g. the books of David Almond) writing and poetry (including Bob Marley) strongly feature. It is a brilliant read for all Y5/Y6 (and into KS3) especially for boys. It is laugh out loud, exciting, raw and incredibly moving at times. Don't feel we've done it justice. Just go and find a copy and read it for yourself.
This week's Headstart highlight!
Brilliant ME! in Action
Brilliant ME! in Action is a resource for school staff to help support social and emotional learning in KS2 as part of a “Whole School , relational approach to wellbeing that is ‘Everybody’s Business’”.
Brilliant ME! in Action complements the My Brilliant Place to be ME! wellbeing journal for KS2.
The interactive PDF and accompanying web pages explore evidence-based best practice and provide a range of practical tools and resources.
Brilliant ME! in Action Resource : Headstart Kernow
Barnardo’s FREE webinar
Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance, Layered Learning CPD Package
Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance | Barnardo's Education Community
CPD - The Invisible Backpack Package (cost involved)
Strengthening relational practice in early years settings and primary schools
Every child brings more than we can see. The Invisible Backpack Package helps staff recognise the needs and experiences children carry with them and respond with empathy, structure and consistency
The Invisible Backpack Package is a one day training package for individual schools/settings or individuals working with babies, children and young people
Invisible Backpack Package | Barnardo's Education Community
Education Support April Newsletter
Staff wellbeing toolkits
Spring is a key moment in the education calendar. With Stress Awareness Month in April and Mental Health Awareness Week in May, it’s a good chance to pause and reflect on our wellbeing.
To help you feel your best, we’ve created two free toolkits packed with expert guidance, practical strategies and ready‑to‑use resources.
Schools and misogyny
NASUWT- The Teacher’s Union has published a news story on misogyny in schools. The union carried out a survey of over 5,000 teachers with findings suggesting that: misogyny from pupils has risen, with almost a quarter of female teachers reporting that they have been subjected to misogyny from a pupil in the last year; a fifth of all teachers reporting that they have been subjected to discriminatory language from a pupil in the last year including sexist, racist and homophobic language; and misogynistic comments have often come after attempting to address behaviour concerns. The union is calling for mandatory professional development packages to help teachers identify, challenge, and safely de-escalate behaviour rooted in online radicalisation, sexism, and hate.
Read the news story: Teachers cry for help as misogyny in schools hits new high
Empathy Day Festival 2026 – Free Toolkit Now Available
The free Empathy Day Festival (4–11 June) is coming up, and you can now access a digital toolkit to help you plan exciting activities in your school, library, bookshop or community setting.
Simply register to take part and the toolkit will be sent straight to you.
This year’s festival celebrates the power of stories to build connection, understanding and wellbeing. The programme features an incredible line‑up of authors and illustrators available on demand, including Michael Rosen, Julia Donaldson, Tom Percival, Patrice Lawrence, SF Said, Rob Biddulph, Rachel Bright, Chante Timothy and Nathanael Lessore plus assemblies in Welsh and English with graphic novelist Huw Aaron.
Grab your Empathy Day Festival toolkit now
New from Pooky Knightsmith
SLIDES & NOTES: EBSA-Informed Transition Planning
The move from Year 6 to Year 7 is one of the most exciting moments in a young person's school life. For most children, it goes well. But for some, particularly our neurodivergent learners, it can also be the point at which school starts to feel impossible. The good news is that there's a lot we can do, and much of it needs to happen before September.
Download:
SLIDES & NOTES: Anxiety Unpacked
This is a brand new workshop, built around a question I get asked constantly: when a young person is anxious, overwhelmed, or spiralling right in front of you, what actually helps? Not the prevention work, not the reflective conversations afterwards. Just that moment. What do you do?
The answer I've come to is this: you are the intervention. Not the words you say, not the technique you use. You. Your nervous system. Your presence. An anxious young person needs to borrow your calm, and you can't give what you don't have.
I developed a framework for this called SAFE (Settle yourself first, Acknowledge the feeling, Feel alongside them, Ease into what's next). It's simple, practical, and designed to work in the moment when you're feeling out of your depth. The notes also cover what doesn't work (spoiler: most well-meaning responses make things worse), and how to teach self-regulation skills when young people are actually ready to learn them.
This is short, snappy, and immediately practical. If you work with anxious young people, there's something in here you can use tomorrow
Download:
Place2Be - Save the Date - Children's Mental Health Week 2027
We are delighted to announce that the next Children’s Mental Health Week will take place from 1-7 February 2027.
To get started, make sure you add next year’s dates in your calendar and we will be back in touch once next year’s theme and resources are released.
Updates from the UK Trauma Council
Join our Community of Practice
We’re excited to launch Connect – our free online Community of Practice bringing together professionals across health, social care, education and justice.
Connect is for those working to improve outcomes for children and young people in complex situations, particularly where these are shaped by ongoing, interpersonal or developmental trauma.
This includes young people:
- in care or at risk of entering care
- at risk of or on Deprivation of Liberty Orders
- experiencing overlapping challenges linked to wellbeing and safety
By joining Connect, you can:
- connect with professionals across the UK
- share and explore evidence-informed approaches
- learn from promising practice
- access webinars, workshops and specialist groups
Have you joined the Headstart Kernow Creative Education membership yet?
Sign up here: www.headstartkernow.org.uk/creative-education/
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.