All About SEMH: A Practical Guide for Secondary Teachers

Foreword

Acknowledgements

PART 1

1: The purpose of this book and how you might use it

2: What is the international and local policy picture?

3: What does it mean to have Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs?

4: Discussing and finding out about research on SEMH

5: Secondary school

PART 2

6: Anxiety

7: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

8: Bereavement, grief and loss

9: Bi-polar disorder

10: Criminal Child Exploitation (CCE)

11: Criminal sexual exploitation (CSE)

12: Depression

13: Drug use and abuse

14: Eating disorders

15: Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB)

16: Emerging personality disorder

17: Self-harm

18: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

19: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

20: Psychosis

21: Further resources

Index

Biography

Sarah Johnson is the founder of Phoenix Education Consultancy, which helps educational establishments to understand what they are doing well and looks at addressing gaps to improve their service. She previously worked in both primary and secondary mainstream education, including as director of inclusion for a large primary school, and as head of a Secondary Pupil Referral Unit.

"Sarah is passionate about all young people being successful in school. Her own educational experience has been working with some of the most challenging and vulnerable young people: this means her practical tips come from her own tried and tested strategies. Sarah always places the child at the heart of all that she does, and inclusion runs through her veins. This book will be a practical and useful resource which will make a real difference to teachers being able to more effectively support all of their learners." – Cath Kitchen OBE, Chair of National Association for Hospital Education

"This practical, evidence-based and entirely user-friendly resource is an essential guide for all of those in the secondary phase who were seeking to gain a deeper understanding of mental health needs and how to support our young people to flourish in the school context. The last few years have seen a significant increase in mental health difficulties which have been linked to the covid pandemic, financial insecurity, and ongoing conflict across the globe. The impact on young people continues to concern many in education. This publication is written by practitioner who also has the lived experience necessary to provide a compassionate, nuanced and entirely practical set of resources which really do make a difference! It can be used as a dip in resource which makes it all the more accessible to the busy and frequently time staff professional." – Tina Rae, Child Psychologist & Author

"Supporting children with SEMH (social and emotional mental health) needs is difficult. It's like juggling a million things on a unicycle. But with the right strategies and tools, we can help them succeed in the classroom and beyond. This book helps classroom teachers choose and use those tools. I appreciate this book because it recognises that their needs are often overlooked. Sarah encourages readers to approach this book with an open mind and a willingness to explore creative solutions to help all children learn, regardless of their challenges." – Abigail Hawkins, (FCCT), SENsible SENCO

"A non-judgemental tour of the ways in which young people with SEMH may experience the world, and what we can do to help them at school.　 As well as a valuable addition to your theoretical knowledge on the topic, you’ll also develop the confidence, skills and ideas you need to better support the young people you’re working with, right away." – Pooky Knightsmith, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Expert

"SEMH (social and emotional mental health) is a challenging and growing need in schools so this book is a great help for classroom teachers. Sarah systematically provides information on each need, backed by research, and, drawing on her 20 years of experience in education, gives practical strategies and tools for teachers to use in the classroom. Supporting pupils with SEMH needs is not easy but with an open minded approach and the right support these pupils can flourish. This book sets out to make it easier for teachers to provide that support." - Fiona Johnson, SENCO and SEN Consultant

"All About SEMH – which is actually two books, one for primary and one for secondary – tackles the complexity of social, emotional and mental health needs. Here, she provides a balance of contextual information regarding the different internal and external behaviours exhibited by pupils alongside practical strategies and conversational prompts. The result is an accessible toolkit with something for everyone regardless of experience or longevity." - Matt Morris, Schools Week