At Komodo, we are often asked by schools how they can best support the emotional wellbeing development of their younger students, who, depending on age and a myriad of other developmental factors, do not always possess the ability to identify and regulate their own emotions. One of these tools is the Leuven Scale, which can easily be used by parents, teachers or any other person who is spending time with a child to get an overall gauge of the child’s emotional wellbeing.

Much like our temperature, our emotions can fluctuate throughout the day. Ensuring we all have the tools to understand and support those natural fluctuations in emotion is key to understanding our wellbeing. One way to think about the range of emotions is as a thermometer.

Prolonged emotional dysregulation can be distressing for a person and impact them in a number of ways, such as cognitive impairment and decreased sense of wellbeing. This dysregulation can further hinder a students academic and social capabilities. Dive into the Zones of Regulation to understand the importance of emotional regulation in the classroom.

While there has been a recent spotlight on improving mental wellbeing and skill development within schools, often this focus has targeted the students, rather than the staff. Therefore, it is important that teachers are equipped with information, support and strategies to manage their own self care to enable ongoing wellbeing success, as lack of access and support contributes to low staff wellbeing scores, decreased sense of career satisfaction and challenges with workplace retention.

The PACE model created by Dan Hughes, is a powerful approach to building strong relationships with your students by focusing on four key attitudes: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy. The model emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with students by approaching student interactions with these four attitudes.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the intersection of technology, wellbeing, and school environments has never been more profound. As students, families and educators embrace the digital age, it brings both transformative opportunities and complex challenges when it comes to wellbeing. Check out some advice on how to strengthen digital literacy and wellbeing in your classrooms.

One essential quality that can be built within the school environment is a growth mindset. A growth mindset lays the foundation for resilience and success. To foster a growth mindset, it's crucial to emphasize the idea that abilities and intelligence are not fixed traits, but qualities that can be developed and expanded through effort and learning. To do this, we need to encourage students to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than seeing them as threats. When they encounter setbacks, guide them to view these moments as stepping stones toward improvement.

A strong foundation in wellbeing equips students with the resilience and tools needed to navigate challenges, fostering a positive learning environment and setting them on a path for lifelong success. So how do we measure student wellbeing? Should we rely on teacher observations or, do students hold the answers to their wellbeing?

Holistic data collection encapsulates a student's diverse experiences, allowing educators and support staff to paint a complete picture of their overall wellbeing. While academic achievements are undoubtedly important, other factors such as attendance, emotional wellbeing, and social engagement contribute significantly to a student's success.

Positive psychology, a branch of psychology that focuses on fostering wellbeing and happiness, has paved the way for various strength-based models, one of which is PERMA V. This framework was created to help people flourish in their lives by emphasizing five core elements: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Vitality. 

As a student or a teacher in the education system, there is a constant juggle of multiple responsibilities: planning, attending classes, learning and retaining new information, and navigating relationships and social interactions. Amidst this chaotic schedule, what if there was something we could do everyday that would support and enhance our ability to concentrate, to learn, to build relationships and regulate emotions. Check out our top tips for improving your sleep hygiene and quality!

The human mind is like a supercomputer that controls everything within our bodies. It takes care of our physical processes, keeps us alive, and helps with our cognitive functions. It is no wonder that with so many responsibilities, every mind works in its own distinct way. Each individual’s brain functions differently with diverse strengths and challenges

Understanding the function and context of a students behaviour can provide valuable insights into a students psychological state and needs. Understanding the function of behaviour in students is important in educational settings. By identifying the function of behaviour, educators can better address the underlying causes of problematic or difficult classroom behaviours which leads to more effective interventions.

When students feel acknowledged, accepted, and respected, their enthusiasm for learning increases, fostering positive relationships with both peers and teachers. By embracing inclusivity, teachers can unlock and enhance the potential of every student and empower them to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. 

It is essential to remember that whilst uncertainty can be a challenge, it can also be an opportunity for growth and development. By focusing on effective communication, collaboration, adaptive leadership, and wellbeing, leadership teams can support their staff and students through any challenging times.

In this FREE guide, we have outlined a step-by-step approach to student wellbeing that can help school staff and senior leaders make a difference at their school.

Belonging & connection to the school community increase learning engagement, academic performance and prosocial behaviour. Learn how to intentionally foster both.

The process of monitoring and collecting data, efficiently measuring outcomes and therefore effectively managing student wellbeing can seem a daunting task. But it can be broken down into a three-step process that continues to move in a cyclic nature.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a model that helps us acknowledge the needs of our students & ensure our interventions are targeting their true needs. Download the full guide at the link in this article.

Student Voice is about providing each student with the platform and tools to be listened to and understood. Learn how to involve students in the decision-making and ensure Student Voice is accounted for.

Gratitude is a learned skill that has been shown to improve symptoms of low mood and anxiety, support wellbeing and improve school performance in children. When woven into our daily lives, it can bring mental and physical health benefits.

The final step of 'managing data' is the most powerful part of this process, it allows to break down wellbeing interventions into either school-wide or cohort/student targeted interventions.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a combination of play and behavioural therapy, and it teaches parents to have a balanced mix of responsiveness and nurturance with clear communication and boundaries. Whilst PCIT was designed to support parent-child interactions, many of these skills are beneficial for teachers, educators and anyone who supports young people. 

How can teachers and other pastoral care school staff support a successful transition back to school for students? In this article, our psychology team shares top tips for setting up students for school success.

Cognitive defusion is the ability to flexibly notice and observe thoughts as they occur, without getting caught up in or being “hooked” by the thought. Read this blog to learn how you can teach this valuable tool to your students

When it comes to data collection in the wellbeing space, schools can look at 3 different types of data collection and the choice depends on the desired data results.

Students in their ‘window of tolerance’ state can best focus, learn and engage positively with their peers. Find out how you can create this zone of optimal learning in classrooms through Sensory Modulation.

Psychological safety contributes to the building of trust & communication & creates a sense of belonging in a school community. It is critical to a high-functioning learning space where students enjoy high levels of autonomy & agency. Learn how you can establish a sense of Psychological Safety in your school environment!

By monitoring student wellbeing regularly, systematically & over an extended period of time, schools can take their first step to ensuring that their wellbeing strategy is actually driven from a student-first perspective.

Stress is an unavoidable part of our daily lives, & the developmental challenges of adolescence often result in high school students feeling particularly stressed. The way you handle stress can depend on your window of tolerance & how wide or narrow it is. This blog explains the concept of the window of tolerance & how considering it can make us more aware of students experience of stress.

When adolescents feel isolated and/or limited in connectedness, a variety of research shows that they are at increased risk of developing low mood & other mental health challenges. Find out how schools can support students struggling with social connection & download our Circle of Safety exercise to use with your students.

Research shows that an association exists between diet quality and patterns and mental health in children and adolescents. So how can we use food to protect and promote wellbeing?

Regular physical activity can improve mood, decrease anxiety, ease stress, help with sleep patterns & create resilience. Explore the connection between physical & mental wellbeing & learn how to improve wellbeing in a holistic way!

Psychological Flexibility is a concept used in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework. A student with psychological flexibility is able to adapt to fluctuating demands, shift perspectives, reconfigure mental resources in order to be effective & balance competing needs. Dive into this blog to understand the benefits & indicators of Psychological Flexibility.

Schools are where our children spend a significant portion of their formative years, making them natural hubs for fostering emotional & social growth. By integrating mindfulness practices into the school routine, parents & educators can create an environment that supports emotional regulation & psychological wellbeing. Check out this blog & downloadable resource for suggestions on how you can implement mindful moments in your classroom!

Children’s social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) is often referred to as social and emotional literacy. It is a key component of their mental health as it enables them to learn and thrive across the early years into adolescence and young adulthood.

With the first school term now underway and both teachers and students setting goals for the year ahead, the importance of student...

Our 2020 wellbeing report contains the data behind student wellbeing in 2020 and details the key factors that affected our students...