101 Ideas for Social Emotional & Mental Health in Primary Schools

Supporting the social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) of children from an early age lays the foundation for lifelong learning and resilience. This practical resource is packed with a wide range of activities designed to help professionals nurture wellbeing across the primary years.

• Whole-School Practice
• Classroom Strategies
• SEND Specific approaches
• Mindfulness Activities
• Outdoors learning Ideas
• Developing Sense of Self
• Sensory-based activities
• Engaging Parents
• Building Social Skills
• Encouraging Empathy
• Fostering Growth Mindset
• Staff Training and Wellbeing

With a detailed introduction underpinning the whole-school strategies, you will find ideas for individuals, small groups and whole classes. This book is a one-stop resource for boosting wellbeing in the primary classroom. All activities are provided as downloadable resources for ease of use. Best suited for children up to Year 4 (and beyond for older pupils with SEND needs).

“Lynn draws upon her vast experience and undoubted passion for her art in setting out both the case for the priority SEMH should be given in our schools, and how this can be embedded through a comprehensive range of activities, starting points for discussion, promotion of positive attitudes and practical considerations for busy school leaders to digest.”
Andrew Cowley, former deputy headteacher in London and co-founder of Healthy Toolkit, an organisation dedicated to encouraging and advancing teacher wellbeing. 

Lynn How is a practising SENCO and SENCO trainer who provides SEND resources for the digital media platform, Teacher Toolkit. With over 24 years of primary teaching and SLT experience, she has been an Assistant Head, Lead Mentor for ITT and SENCO in mainstream schools and an enhanced provision.

Lynn loves to write and also has her own SEMH and staff mental health blog www.positiveyoungmind.com. She holds an MA in Education, FCCT, NASENCO and NPQH. Her particular areas of interest are well-being (staff and pupil), SEND, children’s mental health, leadership, mentoring and coaching.

Lynn has written several books including: Starting Out as a Primary SENCo, The Feeling Furballs and a children’s SEMH fiction book called Your Rainbow.

She has a large network on Facebook based around SENCO well-being (The Sweary SENCO) and her other Facebook groups are growing (see below). These groups enable SENCOs and teachers to find empathy, moral support and advice for undertaking these challenging roles. She also supports both Trusts and individual SENCOs with SENCO CPD packages.