What early signs should teachers look for?

Change is the signal, not any single behaviour: a drop in participation, work quality slipping without explanation, new lateness or absence, withdrawal from friends, irritability that is out of character, and physical complaints with no clear cause. One of these for a day means little. Several, for more than two weeks, means notice.

Am I qualified to raise this?

You are not being asked to diagnose anything. You are being asked to notice a change, say something kind and specific, and pass it to the right person. The guide gives you the wording for all three.

What do I say to the student?

Name what you have observed rather than what you assume: I have noticed you have been quiet in class the last couple of weeks, and I wanted to check in. Then stop talking. The guide includes what to say next in each of the likely replies.

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Recognising Early Signs of Student Mental Health Challenges

Teachers are usually the first adults to see something change, and often the last to be told it matters. This guide is about the part of the job nobody trained you for: noticing early, saying something useful, and handing over well.

No diagnosis, no clinical language. Observation, wording and process.

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Change is the signal

No behaviour on its own means a young person is struggling. A pattern that is new, persistent and out of character usually does.

Academic: work quality drops, deadlines slip, participation disappears
Social: withdrawal from a friendship group, or a sudden change of group
Physical: tiredness, headaches and stomach aches with no clear cause
Emotional: irritability, tearfulness or flatness that is not like them
Attendance: lateness, lesson avoidance, frequent trips to the nurse

The two-week rule

A bad Monday is a bad Monday. When something on that list has been true for around two weeks, or when several appear at once, it is worth a conversation. Write down what you saw and when, in plain factual language, before you talk to anyone.

The first five minutes

You do not need the right question. You need an honest observation and space afterwards.

Say what you noticed, not what you concluded
Ask once, then let the silence sit
Do not promise to keep a secret; say who you might need to tell and why
Ask what they want to happen next

Handing over without breaking trust

Tell the student before you tell anyone else, tell them exactly who and what, and follow up with them afterwards. A referral a young person learns about second-hand ends the relationship that made the disclosure possible.

Signs that need action today

Any disclosure of self-harm, of thoughts of not wanting to be here, of abuse, or of not being safe at home goes to your designated safeguarding lead the same day, following your school's policy. This is not a judgement call you carry alone.

Looking after yourself

Hearing difficult things from students is cumulative. Debrief with a colleague, use your own supervision or support route, and treat your own limits as part of the process rather than a weakness in it.

Send me the early signs guide

A printable staffroom summary with the observation list, the wording for a first conversation and your handover steps. Free, no newsletter subscription required.

Common questions

What early signs should teachers look for?: Change is the signal, not any single behaviour: a drop in participation, work quality slipping without explanation, new lateness or absence, withdrawal from friends, irritability that is out of character, and physical complaints with no clear cause. One of these for a day means little. Several, for more than two weeks, means notice.
Am I qualified to raise this?: You are not being asked to diagnose anything. You are being asked to notice a change, say something kind and specific, and pass it to the right person. The guide gives you the wording for all three.
What do I say to the student?: Name what you have observed rather than what you assume: I have noticed you have been quiet in class the last couple of weeks, and I wanted to check in. Then stop talking. The guide includes what to say next in each of the likely replies.

Turn noticing into a practised response

NOTICE training gives every adult in your school the same first five minutes, so a student gets the same response whoever they happen to tell.

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