Cornwall Schools’ Wellbeing Hub Newsletter 5th June 2026
Friday 5th June 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
Welcome back! We hope you had a restful half term in the sunshine and have returned feeling recharged for the final stretch of the school year. This last half term is often one of the busiest, with exams, sports days, trips and end-of-year events filling the calendar, and for many pupils this can bring added pressure alongside thoughts about transition. Whether they are preparing for exams, moving up a year group or getting ready for a new school or routine, it can be a time of both excitement and uncertainty.
To support pupils during this period, StartNow offers a range of helpful resources, including guidance on managing exam stress as well as building confidence around transition. Please do explore these materials and signpost pupils.
As we encourage young people to look after their wellbeing, it is just as important that you take care of your own, so do remember to build in moments to pause, reflect and recharge where you can.
Wishing you a positive and productive final half term.
Book of the Week
What to do with your whirly, swirly thoughts? by Jennie Allen
Do your children know they are the boss of their thoughts? New York Times bestselling author Jennie Allen will help your kids realise that they don’t have to hang on to every scary, anxious, or mean thought that enters their heads (no matter how it gets there). Based on biblical advice to take thoughts captive, this picture book makes managing thoughts achievable and fun for kids.
For more book suggestions on a range of topics, please visit our Headstart Wellbeing Book Club
This week's Headstart highlight!
The Lemonade Project
Lemonade is a creative, strengths‑based programme from Headstart Kernow designed to support children and young people with emotional wellbeing and resilience. Using creativity, group work and relational approaches, Lemonade helps participants build confidence, emotional understanding and coping skills in a supportive, inclusive setting.
Find out more about the Lemonade project here.
Headstart’s Digital Resilience Resource of the Week
Sexting Safeguarding Training
We’re pleased to share that our Sexting Safeguarding training dates for the coming year are now available.
This 2-hour training supports professionals to understand the legal context surrounding young people sharing nude or sexual images, and to respond to incidents confidently using a harm reduction approach.
Grounded in children’s rights, the session is delivered by Professor Andy Phippen (Digital Rights) and Louisa Street (Youth Worker and PhD researcher), providing the knowledge and practical guidance needed to ensure your setting can respond appropriately and proportionately.
Click here to find out more and book your place
Rock Pool Life CIC - Free Webinar
Understanding Children’s Behaviour Through a Trauma Lens
Tuesday 16th June 2026 | 15:45–16:45 | Free
This one-hour session explores how behaviour that can feel challenging or difficult to manage may be rooted in trauma and early adversity. With a strong focus on school and classroom settings, Sue Penna will introduce a trauma-informed lens to help professionals better understand what sits beneath behaviour, and respond in ways that support safety, regulation and learning.
Ideal for: teachers, school staff, safeguarding leads, pastoral teams, family support workers and professionals supporting children and young people.
Click here for more information and to book your place
Coping with Exam Stress - DfE Education Hub
This Education Hub article shares practical advice on supporting children and young people during exam periods. It highlights simple strategies such as managing routine, encouraging healthy habits and offering reassurance, while emphasising the importance of creating calm, supportive environments both at school and at home.
Find out more about coping with exam stress and supporting young people here.
Resources for Education Staff - Education Support
Education Support offers a wide range of resources to support the wellbeing of education staff. The collection includes guides, toolkits and practical advice covering areas such as stress, burnout, workload and workplace culture, helping staff and leaders to build healthier, more supportive environments.
Find out more about Education Support’s resources for education staff here.
Social Work Toolkit
These helpful visuals remind us that children’s behaviour is a form of communication and often reflects an underlying need. They encourage us to respond with curiosity, calm and understanding to better support emotional wellbeing.
- A child's behaviour does not change until the environment does
- Why calm adults matter
- When I come home from school please know this
- What a child's behaviour is really telling you
See their website for more free resources!
Understanding the Inclusive Mainstream Fund
Schools across England are beginning to receive Inclusive Mainstream Fund allocations from June 2026, creating a timely opportunity to strengthen inclusive practice and support pupil wellbeing. Join Thrive’s upcoming webinar on Wednesday 10 June, 4.00–4.45pm to explore what this funding means in practice and how you can make the most of it in your setting.
Head here for more information and to book your place
Exam Support for Children & Young People - Place2Be
Place2Be has developed a range of practical advice and resources to support children and young people during exam periods. The guidance focuses on managing stress, building confidence and creating supportive environments, with tips for both school and home to help young people feel prepared and reassured.
Find out more about Place2Be’s exam support resources here.
Online Youth Centre Pilot - SPACE Youth Services
We are pleased to share a new Online Youth Club delivered in partnership with SPACE, extending their digital youth offer across Cornwall. Open to young people aged 13 and over, it particularly aims to support those who may be rurally or socially isolated, providing a safe space to connect and engage online. The club runs via the Discord platform, so young people will need to sign up to take part. The QR code on the poster links to the SPACE website where you can find more information and contact details, or you can get in touch with Dan Wildman (daniel.wildman@cornwall.gov.uk), one of our Digital Youth Workers involved in the Online Youth Club, or Helena Webb (helena.webb@cornwall.gov.uk) who is leading on the Youth Transformation Project.
Arts Lab Showcase - Refugee Week Exhibition
The Arts Lab Showcase, open to all and taking place from 15th–21st June at Krowji, Redruth, brings together artwork created by young people through the Arts Lab programme. The exhibition celebrates creativity, community, and the powerful voices of young artists, including those with lived experience of displacement alongside their wider peer community.
Refugee Week Lesson Plans and Resources
Celebrate Refugee Week (15th June-21st June) with lesson plans, whole school initiatives and assembly ideas with this pack of resources from the Resettlement Service. Featuring brand-new artwork by Keith Sparrow, the resources for EYFS-KS4 all link to this year’s theme of courage. The plans are all linked to the national curriculum, British Values and wider reading books, enabling you to use them as a part of your PSHE lessons.
Click here to access the resources and lots more information on the Services for Schools Platform
Creative Education Free Access!
Support the wellbeing of your entire school community with free access to Headstart membership through Creative Education. Staff, governors, parents and carers can all benefit from a comprehensive library of over 400 on demand courses, designed to build confidence, knowledge and practical skills around wellbeing and safeguarding. Sign up today and start exploring the support available!
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.