Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Accept all cookies Reject all non-essential cookies

The Teacher’s Role in Managing and Reducing Anxiety Among Primary School Children

  • Mental Health
  • Mental Health across the Life Course
  • Public Health

Anxiety is a common issue among primary school children, with nearly 40% of anxiety disorders emerging before age 14. Schools provide a crucial setting for early intervention, but existing school-based anxiety interventions are often costly, difficult to implement, and deliver mixed results. This project explored how teachers' everyday classroom practices influence children's anxiety and developed a training programme to help school staff manage anxiety as part of their daily teaching.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study involved:

  • A systematic review of research on the link between classroom practices and child anxiety.
  • Qualitative interviews with school staff, parents, and children to explore perceptions of anxiety and its management in schools.
  • The development of an evidence-based training programme for school staff, refined through practitioner input.
  • A feasibility study evaluating the acceptability and potential impact of the training.


Impact and Implementation

  • The training programme is feasible for delivery as part of routine staff professional development in schools.
  • Successful implementation requires support from school leadership and specialist staff (e.g., Mental Health Support Teams).
  • Findings contribute to broader research on low-cost, scalable interventions for child mental health support in schools.
  • Insights from the study highlight the need for careful timing and planning when introducing new training in school settings, ensuring alignment with school priorities.

Next Steps

  • Further research is needed to experimentally assess the impact of the training on child anxiety levels.
  • Future work should identify which training components are most effective and explore how best to tailor the programme for different school contexts.
  • Findings could inform future school-based mental health interventions, potentially reducing the need for external referrals.

Project lead / contact: Helen Manley — Department of Experimental Psychology (ox.ac.uk)

ARC theme: Mental health across the life course

Completed Project

Key Findings

  • Pressure and uncertainty are key contributors to anxiety in the Classroom

Teachers can help reduce anxiety by:

  • Increasing predictability in the classroom
  • Cultivating connections through good communication and relationship-building
  • Managing the classroom and wider school environment
  • Providing structured support to children

Findings suggest that:

  • Training school staff in managing anxiety through everyday teaching is both needed and feasible. Participants found the training acceptable and useful, but further evaluation is required to assess its long-term effectiveness