Transforming school mental health: embedding and evaluating the Whole School and College Approach (WSCA)

Summary

A range of programmes supporting a Whole School and College Approach (WSCA) to mental health and wellbeing have been developed and implemented on a national scale, demonstrating meaningful and measurable impact across educational settings. This work included a best practice review, creation of comprehensive training resources, national policy briefings, and a digital toolkit designed to measure the impact of WSCA strategies.

Challenge

Children and young people’s mental health is under increasing pressure, with around one in four school-aged children experiencing a diagnosable mental health condition (NHS Digital 2024). While Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) were introduced nationally, schools lacked consistent, evidence-based guidance for embedding a whole-school and college approach (WSCA) to wellbeing – a recognised key factor in effective and sustainable support. There was a clear gap in policy frameworks and tools to enable schools to adopt and measure WSCA principles at scale. Addressing this gap is a priority in the government’s Ten Year Health Plan, which aims for all pupils to have access to school mental health support by 2030.

Approach

Health Innovation KSS led the research and development of WSCA resources, supported by key partners: NHS England, University of Sussex, National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex (NIHR ARC KSS), West Sussex County Council, Charlie Waller Trust, Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust, NHS England, and The Department for Education (DfE).

The approach included:

• Best Practice Review: Assessed how MHSTs support WSCA delivery, identifying and evaluating best practice. Findings were disseminated nationally and internationally in 2021, influencing NHS England’s Mental Health Support Team Operating Manual.
• National WSCA Policy Roundtable (2024): Brought together key national stakeholders and policy makers to raise the profile of WSCA and draft a national policy paper.
• Digital WSCA Measurement Toolkit: Launched in late 2023, this co-produced toolkit (www.wsca-measurement.co.uk) enables schools and colleges to measure implementation and outcomes of WSCA strategies.
• MindEd Resources: Developed national resources on WSCA strategy and impact measurement, to be launched on the NHSE-funded MindEd platform in Autumn 2025.

Pupils and staff were actively involved in developing the outcome and implementation measures which formed part of the WSCA digital measurement toolkit, ensuring it was relevant and practical.

Impact

• The best practice review and research has received over 35,000 downloads and has been presented at major national and international conferences, influencing national policy and guidance.
• Over 450 schools registered to use the digital measurement toolkit in its first six months, demonstrating strong sector engagement. NIHR ARC KSS is currently funding the evaluation of the implementation and impact of the toolkit.
• The research and resources have been referenced in NHS England’s Mental Health Support Team Operating Manual and contributed to national benchmarking guidance.
• The work has provided schools and colleges with practical tools to measure and enhance the impact of WSCA, supporting early intervention and prevention of mental health issues.

Laura Whixton, Programme Manager (Mental Health Support Teams), Children & Young People’s Mental Health Programme, NHS England: “The national MHST programme team within NHS England recognises the need to understand the impact of the service being offered to education settings, children, young people and their parents and carers. Whilst understanding the impact of the therapeutic interventions offered has long-standing evidence-based mechanisms (clinical outcome measures), the elements of knowing how to best implement and understand the difference the whole school and college approach is making were less developed. Therefore, an evidence-based review of best practice and subsequent creation of the implementation and impact toolkit not only brought stakeholders together, but added to the ability for MHSTs to collaboratively, with education settings, strengthen their support for poor mental health prevention activities. The robust approach taken led to the programme being able to reference the toolkit in the MHST operating manual as a resource example.”

Becca Randell Mental Health Lead, Health Innovation KSS: “It has been incredible to see how this research, led by Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex and supported by such a strong partnership, has had such wide-reaching national impact.  From influencing NHS England policy to developing widely used practical tools and resources. This work provides a fantastic and much-needed foundation to help schools and colleges effectively measure and enhance the impact of delivering a whole school and college approach.” 

Spread and Scalability

The best practice review and toolkit have been spread nationally through dissemination webinars with over 550 stakeholders attending and presentations at national and international conferences. It has been supported by a national steering group which includes representatives from NHSE, DfE, Association of Education Psychologists, Ofsted, Charlie Waller Trust, University of Sussex, Association of Colleges, West Sussex County Council, Sussec Partnership Foundation NHS Trust and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.

Find out more

• WSCA Measurement Toolkit
• Best Practice Review
• For further information, contact Becca Randell via enquiries@healthinnovation-kss.com