Schools play a vital role in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people, especially during school years. This is a time when so many physical, emotional, and social changes are taking place.

At Off the Record, we recognise how important it is to provide mental health and emotional wellbeing support where young people already spend a large part of their lives: in school.

That’s why our Schools Wellbeing Teams work directly within schools in Croydon and Merton to offer accessible, timely, and compassionate support to young people and their families, as well as supporting schools to implement a whole school and college approach to wellbeing.

Wellbeing Support in Schools

Our goal is to create a school environment where emotional health is prioritised, and where everyone feels equipped to support and respond to the mental health needs of students. As part of our work, we have a dedicated Wellbeing Support Team embedded in schools. This team provides targeted early intervention for students experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges, working closely with school communities to bridge the gap between education and mental health services.

The Schools Wellbeing Teams in Croydon and Merton supports the school community in several ways:

1:1 Emotional Wellbeing Sessions
We offer confidential, non-judgemental spaces where young people can talk about any difficulties they may be facing, from anxiety and low mood to friendship struggles and family pressures. These sessions help young people feel heard and supported in a safe and accessible setting.

Workshops for Parents and Carers
We run engaging and practical workshops to help parents and carers better understand young people’s emotional needs and learn how to support them at home.

Support for School Staff
We offer training and guidance to school staff to help them keep wellbeing at the heart of school life. This includes recognising signs of mental health difficulties, responding effectively, and promoting a culture of care and resilience throughout the school. We also support schools to implement a whole school and college approach through termly meetings and offering consultations and signposting to further support.

Primary School Support includes:

• 1:1 Parent/carer-Led support – Our practitioners work one-to-one with parent/carers to help them to support their children who are experiencing anxiety (ages 5-11) or are displaying common challenging behaviour (ages 5-8)
• 1-1 counselling for children
• Group emotional wellbeing sessions for children
• Online workshops for parents
• Coffee mornings for parent/carers
• Whole class workshops of assemblies

Secondary School Support Includes:

• 1-1 self-guided support for low mood and anxiety. This support is CBT-based and our Practitioners work alongside students giving them CBT based support and providing strategies to help with low-mood or anxiety.
• 1-1 Counselling for young people
• Emotional wellbeing group sessions for young people
• Whole class workshops or assemblies

Through workshops, group work, and individual sessions, the team offers emotional wellbeing support to children, young people, their families, and the school staff who support them every day.

Find out more about the Croydon Schools we are based in here.

Find out more about the Merton Schools we are based in here.

Building a Supportive Future For Young People

By working in partnership with schools, families, and young people, we aim to create a supportive and understanding environment where young minds can thrive - both academically and emotionally.