Promoting mental health and wellbeing in schools: How the Ofsted inspection process can inspire change and what support is needed in schools

Abstract

The Society set out to consider how the Department for Education could work with Ofsted to introduce a new psychological wellbeing measure into its inspection regime that was accompanied by the provision of additional psychological support. The importance of this work in the current climate was twofold. Firstly, (at the time of writing) as one in eight children and young people have a mental health difficulty it was important that wellbeing and positive mental health were addressed in schools. Secondly, the Ofsted framework sends a clear message about how teachers and schools can prioritise their time, when this is becoming ever increasingly demanding. The Senate campaign’s Expert Reference Group (ERG) contributed to the BPS’ consultation response to the OFSTED inspection framework. Drawing on the expertise of the ERG, we produced a commentary on the need to ensure the mental health needs of children are identified within schools, called for Ofsted to consider their definition of ‘resilience’ and to consider the wider factors which might contribute towards ‘attitudes and behaviour’. In addition to submitting a response to the Ofsted consultation, we produced a policy briefing calling for whole school approaches to mental health and welling and closer scrutiny of these by Ofsted.Ofsted immediately contacted the Society and we secured a meeting with Ofsted’s Deputy Director. We provided an up-to-date bibliography of relevant psychological research to Ofsted’s Head of Research. However, we were disappointed (as was the other kindred organisations) that Ofsted did not make any significant changes. Our briefing was picked up by The Times Educational Supplementwww.tes.com/news/schools-mental-health-support-should-be-inspected-ofstedThe Ofsted Inspection Framework Consultation response can be found here:https://www.bps.org.uk/sites/www.bps.org.uk/files/Policy/Policy%20-%20Files/BPS%20Response%20-%20Ofsted%20Education%20Inspection%20Framework%202019.pdf