The Cornwall Healthy Schools research project on emotional health and well-being was launched in January 2013 with a full-day event that brought together school staff to examine the latest research on risk and protective factors relating to mental health and well-being in school settings, strategies to support vulnerable pupil groups, and connections between socio-emotional experiences and school attainment/attendance.

The research was conducted in close collaboration with the Cornwall Healthy Schools team (NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust), and involved teachers being supported to assess their pupils’ socio-emotional functioning and well-being.  The project included training and feedback sessions for relevant staff and school teachers, and helped teachers to gather and analyse valuable data on the way in which social and emotional dimensions of life at school are connected with well-being.   The work also helped us to better understand and strengthen different intervention approaches and strategies being used to promote emotional health and well-being in schools.