Promote Positive Body Image

By the end of primary school, many children are dropping things they enjoyed because they're self-conscious about how they look. Poor body image can drag down self-esteem, and learning with it, in boys as well as girls.

Four practical strategies adapt to any age. The hardest is what you model yourself, from offhand comments about your own looks to compliments about hair or clothes that could have been about kindness or effort. Then look at your displays and resources through a child's eyes. Would they see someone like them? You'll also get ideas for helping pupils question the filtered, edited lives they see online.

The idea that stays with you is self-esteem as a temple with lots of pillars. If looks are the only pillar, one unkind comment can bring the whole thing down.