Minds Ahead
Reshaping Mental Health in Education
Minds Ahead is a social enterprise dedicated to transforming mental health in education. Since 2017, we have been advocating for a whole-school approach to mental health, equipping education leaders and practitioners with the tools to embed this into their practice.
Our pioneering approach goes beyond reactive support. We empower schools to embrace their vital public health role by fostering environments where pupils can thrive, preventing mental health issues before they arise.
A New Paradigm for School Mental Health
We believe that a new mental health paradigm is essential in education. Schools and colleges must adopt a holistic, strategic, preventive, proactive, and reflective approach. This is outlined in the document “The Minds Ahead Approach to School Mental Health” (2024)
What is School Mental Health?
School mental health focuses on the impact that emotional, psychological, and social well-being have on academic progress. It includes the support and services that address students' mental health needs while enhancing their learning environment. At Minds Ahead, we encourage schools to ask two key questions:
What would good school mental health look like?
How can school culture, policies, processes, relationships, and curriculum support this?
Whether intentional or not, schools play a crucial role in promoting young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The Promoting Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing document (2015, updated 2021, Gov.UK) outlined eight key principles for creating a whole-school approach to mental health. At Minds Ahead, we refined these principles into five clear priorities, reducing the sense of overload for education staff and improving their wellbeing.
The Benefits of Prioritising Mental Health
Investing in mental health and wellbeing in schools offers numerous benefits, including reducing school-related stress and challenges, increasing attendance, improving achievement, and lowering the number of students requiring additional support. By fostering a positive school culture, schools can proactively prevent mental health issues and create happier, healthier communities. Research highlights that school-wide positive behavioural interventions can significantly enhance school culture while reducing depression and anxiety (Bradshaw et al., 2012). Additionally, social and emotional learning interventions are shown to improve mental health outcomes by developing pupils' social skills, emotional regulation, and problem-solving abilities (Durlak et al., 2011).
Schools can act as major protective factors for young people’s wellbeing when staff feel knowledgeable, confident, and supported. Teachers are often the trusted adults that young people turn to, making them well-placed to provide meaningful support (Abdinasir, 2019).
Moving Forward: A Coordinated, Evidence-Based Approach
Five years on from the pandemic, educational settings have accelerated their efforts to address mental health and wellbeing. This has been aided by the government-funded Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) training programme. Despite this progress, the rising mental health crisis requires more coordinated, sustained action.
Quick fixes are not enough. Sending staff on a short course is a valuable start, but meaningful change demands ongoing investment in capacity building. Schools must adopt the same evidence-led strategies for mental health as they do for academic learning and safeguarding.
The leads and specialists driving this work are the pioneers who will shape best practice and demonstrate what is possible. With a shared vision and determination, we can create a world-leading school-based mental health system that nurtures and supports every student.
The School Mental Health Qualification Framework
Launched in March 2025, the School Mental Health Qualifications Framework offers a comprehensive suite of qualifications designed with a strengths-based, school-centred approach. This framework supports colleagues in advancing best practices, driving innovation, and demonstrating what is possible in school mental health.
Our programmes are strategically developed to help schools implement a holistic approach to mental health, aligning with the latest evidence and national policies. Each qualification is designed to be highly practical, ensuring that learning directly translates into meaningful improvements for pupils, staff, and parents.
Since 2017, Minds Ahead has empowered over 3,000 participants and supported more than 2,200 educational settings, contributing to lasting change in school mental health.
Together, we can achieve more. Together, we can reshape mental health in education. Together, we can build a future where all schools are inclusive communities that support the mental health and well-being of pupils and staff — now and for generations to come.
TAC Access
Minds Ahead’s latest partnership with TACaccess stems from a shared commitment to improving student mental wellbeing in schools.
With over 18% of children and young people facing mental health challenges during their education, accessing the right specialist support at the right time is crucial for improving outcomes. However, many schools are limited to providing mental health ‘first aid’ due to logistical and budget constraints, making access to specialist services challenging. The TACaccess platform addresses this gap by offering a seamless and cost-effective way to connect those in need with appropriate mental health professionals. By simplifying the referral process and reducing costs, the platform empowers schools to provide timely and targeted support.
Minds Ahead is excited about the potential for this partnership to drive positive change, and we look forward to working alongside TACaccess to enhance mental health support in educational settings across the country.