Children’s Mental Health Week 2026

Children’s Mental Health Week 2026

Why Safe, Supportive Environments Matter More Than Ever

By Premises Management Group Surrey (PMGS)

Children’s Mental Health Week is a powerful reminder that wellbeing is not just shaped by lessons and learning — it is influenced by the spaces children move through every single day.

Across schools and educational settings, facilities teams quietly play a vital role in creating environments where young people feel safe, supported, and ready to thrive. While mental health conversations often focus on curriculum and pastoral care, the physical environment is just as important.

At Premises Management Group Surrey (PMGS), we believe that good premises management supports good mental health.

🧠 The Link Between Environment and Wellbeing

A calm, clean, and well-maintained space reduces stress and anxiety for both pupils and staff. Small details can have a big emotional impact:

• Safe and clutter-free corridors reduce sensory overload.
• Well-lit classrooms support focus and mood.
• Quiet breakout spaces provide moments of calm.
• Clean facilities promote dignity and confidence.

For many children — especially those with SEND needs — the physical environment directly affects emotional regulation and behaviour.

Facilities teams may not always see the immediate emotional impact of their work, but every repaired door, safe play area, and welcoming space contributes to a child feeling secure.

🏫 The Role of Estates & Premises Teams

During Children’s Mental Health Week, it’s important to recognise that estates professionals are part of the wellbeing ecosystem within schools.

Their responsibilities go beyond maintenance:

✔ Creating safe sensory-friendly environments

✔ Supporting inclusive access across the site

✔ Maintaining calm, clean spaces that reduce anxiety

✔ Working alongside leadership teams to adapt environments for evolving pupil needs

In many schools, premises teams are already helping to re-imagine spaces — converting unused areas into nurture rooms, wellbeing hubs, or flexible learning environments.

This quiet transformation is helping schools respond to increasing mental health needs without always having more space available.

🌱 Small Changes, Big Impact

You don’t always need large budgets to support wellbeing through estates management. Practical changes can make a meaningful difference:

• Decluttering overstimulating areas
• Improving acoustics in busy corridors
• Creating dual-use spaces for quiet time
• Ensuring outdoor areas feel safe and welcoming
• Maintaining consistent cleaning standards

These improvements may seem operational, but their impact is deeply human.

🤝 A Shared Responsibility

Mental health support is a collective effort. Teachers, pastoral teams, leadership, families — and estates professionals — all play a part.

When facilities teams are included early in planning conversations, schools can create environments that are not only compliant and functional but also nurturing and inclusive.

At PMGS, we see facilities management as more than operations — it’s about building environments where children feel safe enough to learn, grow, and be themselves.

💬 Final Thoughts from PMGS

Children’s Mental Health Week is a chance to pause and reflect on how every role within education contributes to wellbeing.

If your work helps keep a school safe, clean, and operational, you are already supporting mental health — even if it happens quietly behind the scenes.

Because when environments feel safe…

learning becomes easier, confidence grows, and young people can truly thrive.

Premises Management Group Surrey (PMGS)

Professional Premises & Cleaning Solutions for Schools and Educational Facilities

📧 info@schoolpremisesmanagementcleaningsolutions.co.uk

☎️ 020 3952 1438

📱 07523 024900