Children’s Mental Health Week is a national awareness campaign that supports the emotional wellbeing of children across the UK. Each year, it gives schools a valuable opportunity to pause, reflect and actively promote positive mental health through discussion, learning and shared experiences.
For primary schools, Children’s Mental Health Week is not simply a themed event in the calendar. It offers a chance to strengthen a culture in which children feel comfortable expressing emotions, asking for help and recognising that mental health is a vital part of everyday life. When approached thoughtfully, the week can improve emotional literacy, strengthen relationships and contribute to long-term wellbeing.
In this blog, we explore the purpose of Children’s Mental Health Week, why it matters in school communities, and how our This Is My Place assembly supports children in exploring identity, connection and belonging.
What Is Children’s Mental Health Week?
Children’s Mental Health Week is an annual UK-wide campaign organised by Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity. The week takes place every February (9th–15th in 2026) and brings together schools, families, carers and professionals to focus on children’s emotional wellbeing.
Each year, the campaign centres around a theme that reflects issues relevant to children and young people. These themes help schools introduce conversations about emotions, self-understanding and mental health in a way that is age-appropriate, accessible and supportive. The theme for Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 is This Is My Place. This theme emphasises the vital role that a sense of belonging plays in children’s mental health and wellbeing, whether in friendships, in school, in families or within wider communities.
Schools typically mark the week through assemblies, lessons, creative activities and opportunities for pupil voice. The focus is not on diagnosing difficulties but on building awareness, empathy and resilience.
Why Children’s Mental Health Week Matters
National data highlights the growing need for early support. NHS England reports that one in five children aged eight to sixteen has a probable mental disorder. While awareness of mental health has improved, schools and external services continue to face increasing demand for support.
Schools are often the first place where changes in emotional wellbeing are noticed. Teachers and support staff play a vital role in creating environments where children feel secure, listened to and able to share concerns.
Children’s Mental Health Week helps normalise conversations about feelings and mental health. When these discussions are part of whole-school activity, pupils learn that emotional wellbeing is a shared responsibility and that seeking help is both appropriate and encouraged.
Introducing 1decision’s This Is My Place Assembly
Our This Is My Place assembly has been developed to support Children’s Mental Health Week and the wider wellbeing curriculum. It builds directly on this year’s theme by helping pupils reflect on what belonging means to them and how feeling connected supports emotional wellbeing.
Through interactive videos and discussion opportunities, the assembly encourages children to think about the people, places and communities that help them feel secure and valued. It acknowledges that everyone’s experience of belonging is different, while reinforcing the idea that everyone deserves to feel they have a place where they belong.
The assembly is designed to be inclusive, accessible and rooted in real-life experiences, making it suitable for a wide range of pupils and school settings.
Extending Learning Beyond the Assembly
To have lasting impact, Children’s Mental Health Week should be supported by follow-up activities beyond a single assembly. Classroom discussions, creative work and reflective tasks allow pupils to explore themes in greater depth.
Activities such as drawing, storytelling or small-group discussion give children safe and familiar ways to express feelings. Schools may also use the week to reinforce supportive routines, including emotional check-ins, quiet spaces or peer support systems.
Engaging parents and carers can further strengthen impact. Sharing information and signposting support helps ensure that conversations continue beyond the school environment.
Connecting Children’s Mental Health Week to the Curriculum
Children’s Mental Health Week aligns closely with PSHE and RSHE curriculum objectives, including self-awareness, relationships, respect and emotional regulation. Using assemblies and resources that support these areas helps schools meet statutory requirements while prioritising wellbeing.
It also supports safeguarding responsibilities by ensuring pupils understand how to seek help and where support is available.
When embedded within long-term planning, Children’s Mental Health Week becomes part of a broader commitment to supporting the whole child.
A Thoughtful, Evidence-Informed Approach
Addressing mental health in schools requires resources that are credible, appropriate and informed by experience. Children benefit most from messages that are reassuring, balanced and grounded in an understanding of the school environment.
Our approach reflects extensive experience working with primary schools. The This Is My Place assembly focuses on emotional security, identity and connection, supporting wellbeing without overwhelming pupils.
This approach aligns with best practice by promoting consistency, inclusion and positive relationships.
Making Children’s Mental Health Week Count
Children’s Mental Health Week has the greatest impact when it supports long-term cultural change rather than short-term awareness. Assemblies, shared discussions and reflective activities help establish values that can be reinforced throughout the year.
By revisiting themes such as belonging and emotional wellbeing, schools can help pupils build confidence and resilience over time. Thoughtful resources and consistent messaging ensure that Children’s Mental Health Week makes a meaningful and lasting difference.
