Mental health and wellbeing column: giving confidence and empowering

There is a temptation for schools and other educational organisations to focus only on immediate academic outcomes for performance table rankings. The best schools will, of course, also want to help students lead fulfilling and successful adult lives. This ideally includes providing opportunities to participate in creative curricular and extra-curricular activities, which we know create happier children. Indeed, a 2019 survey by the Music in Secondary School Trust (MiSST) found that after three years of learning a musical instrument, students' self-confidence increased by an average of 10%.

However, it is well documented that current secondary pupils' educational provision and social development were impacted by two years of Covid-related disruption, and the stubborn gap between outcomes for disadvantaged students and their more affluent peers has only widened as a result. Teachers seeking guidance on closing this gap might begin with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), which offers a summary of strategies to support disadvantaged students.