This month, more than 80 senior staff from across the community’s girls’ schools joined Sunbeams for our latest Mental Health Network training series, From Struggle to Success. The three-part programme focused on how schools can better support emotionally struggling pupils by working collaboratively with families and external professionals. Headteachers, SENCOs and pastoral leads came together to learn, reflect and share challenges, creating a space where uncertainty could shift into confidence.

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The sessions were designed and delivered by Dr Lisa Shostak, in close collaboration with local therapists, school leaders and professionals with lived experience. This ensured the content reflected the reality of school life and the specific needs of our community. The first session explored how schools can assess emotional difficulty, involve the right professionals at the right time, and develop a coordinated, supportive approach to therapeutic help.

The second and third sessions, held separately for primary and secondary schools, focused on building practical skills: how to engage reluctant children, how to work sensitively with families who may be anxious or unsure, and how to hold confident, compassionate conversations around mental health and therapy.

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Staff spoke openly about what the training meant to them. One pastoral lead said,
“It helped me rethink conversations I’ve been avoiding. I left with language I can use and a clearer sense of how to support families without overwhelming them.”

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Another participant shared,
“For the first time, I really understood the differences between therapy types and what schools can do to set children up for success. It made something that felt confusing suddenly feel manageable.”

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As the Mental Health Network continues to grow, we are grateful for the educators and professionals who show up with curiosity, honesty and determination to support the young people in their care.

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