Senior Mental Health Lead training
Start out with confidence as a senior mental health lead
An Introduction to the Role of the Senior Mental Health Lead is a fully on-demand course in five parts. It helps you build a whole-school approach to mental health, champion pupil and staff wellbeing, and step into the role with real confidence. You have six months to finish, at your own pace.
- Five parts, fully on demand
- Six months to finish
- £375 + VAT per person
Already a senior mental health lead? Take the annual refresher.
What you’ll be able to do
Everything you need to change your school or college’s approach to mental health, across the DfE’s eight principles of a whole school or college approach to mental health.
- Lead mental health effectively in your setting
- Create a culture that values mental health
- Identify needs and assess the impact of interventions
- Provide targeted support and refer appropriately
- Help staff look after their own wellbeing
- Promote mental health throughout the curriculum
- Let pupil voice shape your provision
- Work closely with parents and carers
Five parts, at your own pace
Each part pairs short on-demand courses with practical tasks in your own setting. You finish by sending us your audit, action plan and provision map.
Audit where you are
Download your core workbook and audit your setting’s current provision. Previous participants find the audit takes 30 to 45 minutes. Then start with More Than Happiness: A Guide to Pupil Mental Wellbeing.
Map the provision around you
Explore national and local mental health provision, with courses for your phase, then draft a map of the support available in your area and review your action plan.
Refer and support
Build your confidence making internal and external referrals, and talking to pupils and adults in distress.
Understand different needs
How mental health shows up differently across groups of pupils, from children with chronic medical conditions to anxiety, low mood and hidden needs.
Lead across the school
Support staff mental health, engage parents and carers, get health education right and look after yourself. Then send us your work for feedback and your certificate.
Built around a working week
Workload-friendly
Five manageable parts with six months’ on-demand access, plus optional courses from our library to go further.
Support when you need it
From the moment you enrol, our team is on hand for questions about the content, your progress or putting it into practice.
Put it into practice
Audit your current provision, write an improvement plan and put new ideas to work in your school or college.
Bring your colleagues with you
Your colleagues get our staff development toolkit: short presentations with facilitator notes, explainers and surveys to build a whole-school approach.
“I never expected this programme to have such a profound effect on so many things. The training is exceptional, has taught me so much, and impacted on children, staff and families quickly as a result of us having so much more knowledge and strategies.”
Rachael Kilmister · Headteacher, St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School, on our DfE-funded SMHL programme
We’ve supported thousands of senior mental health leads through our earlier DfE-funded programme. This on-demand course builds on that experience.
Book your place
Enrolment is open now. Book below and we’ll be in touch with next steps.
Per person
£375
+ VAT · six months’ access
Organisational members
£350
+ VAT per person, for schools with a Creative Education membership
Already an SMHL?
Keep your practice current with our annual refresher: updates in policy and guidance, and time to review your audit.
Questions about SMHL training
Who is it for?
Anyone taking on, or new to, the senior mental health lead role in a school or college. It’s also open to people not currently working in a setting, and to people outside the UK: we’ve made three fictional school profiles so you can complete the practical tasks wherever you are.
How long does it take?
It’s in five parts, and you have six months from enrolment to finish, at your own pace.
What do I need to do to get my certificate?
Complete the on-demand courses in all five parts, and send us your audit, action plan and draft provision map. Our team reviews your work and sends you feedback and your certificate.
Can a colleague do it with me?
Yes. Tell us on the booking form and we’ll add them.
How do we pay?
By invoice. The booking form asks for the email address the invoice should go to.
Book your place
Tell us who’s taking part and where to send the invoice.
What happens next
- We confirm your place and send you an invoice.
- You get access to the course, your core workbook and the staff development toolkit.
- Six months to finish at your own pace, with our team on hand.
Questions before you book?
Call 020 8680 4077 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm) or email [email protected].