The Hidden Crisis
The impact of COVID-19 on children’s emotional health, the link to exclusions and how a trauma-responsive approach can help reduce the long-term effects.
Even before COVID-19, children’s emotional wellbeing had been in decline for a decade. If nothing is done, this intensifying emotional health crisis – exacerbated by the pandemic – will lead to a rise in exclusions, increasing pressure on social services and more children falling through the education system, with potentially catastrophic life-long consequences.
Emotional wellbeing has been at the centre of TLG’s work for over 20 years and this briefing paper looks into the link between emotional wellbeing and school exclusions.
At the core of our paper’s recommendations to Government is for a trauma-responsive and early intervention approach everywhere in education: in the classroom, in any school disciplinary proceedings and across all other education services. This includes a call for trauma-responsive training to be incorporated into teacher training.
"It’s important we make decisions that prioritise emotional growth and wellbeing in students, particularly at a time like this. All teachers need to be equipped to make such decisions and to support the wellbeing of their students."
Gav Budby, TLG Wakefield Headteacher
