CoRAY mental health lesson plans
CoRAY was a project based at the University of Oxford. In partnership with the Charlie Waller Trust, it developed a pack of mental health lessons and resources, working with young people, researchers and clinicians to produce evidence-informed advice.
What do young people most want support with?
Ready-to-go resources on mental health and wellbeing for teachers, parents and carers
What do young people most want support with? The project asked young people about the difficult thoughts and feelings they most wanted support with. They identified five key themes on which the pack is based:
- Managing change and uncertainty
- Feeling lonely, isolated, and disconnected
- Feeling bored, flat, and unmotivated
- Feeling anxious about social situations
- Getting help or support for mental health
- Ready-to-go resources on mental health and wellbeing for teachers, parents and carers
Who are these packs for?
These packs can be used by teachers and anyone who works with children and young people, and also by parents and carers so that these conversations can happen both at home and in educational settings.
Resources for Teachers
The packs comprise of a series of lessons that can be delivered to KS3 and KS4 pupils. For each topic, there are two lesson plans, two sets of PowerPoint slides, and accompanying worksheets and videos. The packs also include practical guide to support teachers in the delivery of a series of lessons developed to support young people in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 who are experiencing difficult thoughts and feelings.
Topics include:
- Managing change and uncertainty
- Feeling lonely, isolated, and disconnected
- Feeling bored, flat, and unmotivated
- Feeling anxious about social situations
- Getting help or support for mental health
Resources for young people with additional learning needs
A practical guide to support you in the delivery of a series of sessions developed to support young people aged 11-16, who may benefit from an adapted version of the mainstream programme. These specifically adapted sessions focus on managing difficult thoughts and feelings under five key themes.
We have designed these sessions to help learners with additional needs explore the five themes and access their important messages in a comfortable and accessible way. That includes shorter sessions, exploring language and meaning, using clear visuals and reduced wording, simplified instructions, a range of resources, distancing techniques and consideration of sensory and social/emotional needs.
Resources for Parents
If you are a parent or carer interested in having these conversations at home, we have a practical guide to help parents and carers use the CoRAY resource pack.
It includes two videos: Encouraging Young People to Seek Help and Managing Change and Uncertainty. We have also provided a guide to support parents and carers in having helpful, open, honest and empathetic conversations with a young person about their thoughts and feelings.
Video scenarios
Encouraging young people to seek help
Managing change and uncertainty
Full evidence - informed briefings
The CoRay team produced full briefings that provide evidence-informed guidance on how to support young people with the five key themes they identified during the project. You can download and read the full briefings below:
- CoRay Full Briefing for Feeling Bored, Flat, and Unmotivated
- CoRay Full Briefing for Feeling Lonely, Isolated, and Disconnected
- CoRay Full Briefing for Getting Help or Support for Mental Health
- CoRay Full Briefing for Managing Change and Uncertainty
- CoRay Full Briefing Feeling Anxious About Social Situations