Black Caribbean pupils in England are permanently excluded at nearly twice the national rate, and persistent disruptive behaviour remains the most common reason for suspensions overall, with physical assault against another pupil accounting for around one in six permanent exclusions. 

To help provide earlier support for children at risk of exclusion and involvement in violence, the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has granted £3 million to roll out and evaluate a new Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programme in mainstream and alternative provision schools. 

MindWorks, developed by Anna Freud, a mental health charity for children and young people, is a culturally adapted, targeted CBT programme for 11–16-year-olds whose distress presents as violence and aggression. The programme uses a systemic approach that recognises children’s behaviour is shaped by the environments in which they live, including how wider pressures, such as poverty and racism, can affect their wellbeing, relationships and access to support.

There is strong evidence that CBT is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. It can help children understand the links between their thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and develop strategies to manage strong emotions and challenging situations. However, many children who could benefit from mental health support face barriers to accessing it. MindWorks aims to help address this by making therapeutic support more accessible, inclusive and flexible by bringing it into schools. 

Through the programme, a trained wellbeing practitioner will use CBT and systemic approaches to work with each child, their parents or carers, and trusted members of school staff across one school term. By involving key adults around each child, the programme aims to strengthen their wider support system and help sustain positive change. Sessions are flexible and tailored to the needs of the child and could include support with emotional regulation, relationships, identity and self-worth. They will usually take place in school, although they may also be delivered in community settings or online where appropriate.

All elements of MindWorks will be delivered by qualified wellbeing practitioners, including Education Mental Health Practitioners and Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners. The wellbeing practitioners will receive training from Anna Freud to understand behaviour in context and recognise the impact of racism and identity, to ensure the support is culturally sensitive for children from racially minoritised backgrounds.  

A new review of international evidence published in YEF’s Toolkit suggests that CBT skills programmes can reduce children’s involvement in violence, with studies showing an average reduction of 72%. 

Through this investment, YEF will evaluate whether an approach shown internationally to be effective at reducing violence in children and young people can be culturally adapted and delivered at scale in mainstream and alternative provision school settings. 

MindWorks will be evaluated by the Ending Youth Violence Lab through a randomised controlled trial involving 720 children across 30 mainstream and alternative schools. The programme will start delivery from September 2026. 

Jake Grout-Smith, Assistant Director of Impact, Programmes and Partnerships at Youth Endowment Fund, said: “CBT has been shown internationally to help prevent children becoming involved in violence. MindWorks offers a practical way to bring this support into schools for the children who would benefit most, while also helping us learn more about how it can be culturally adapted and delivered effectively at scale.” 

Dr Lesley French, Director of Schools and Clinical Practice at Anna Freud, said: “Through MindWorks, we are turning the latest evidence on preventing mental ill health and violence into action to help young people thrive at home and at school.  The programme is designed to support young people whose lives are shaped by systemic pressures – such as poverty and racism – as these challenges can make it harder to navigate difficult emotions and situations. 

“The programme draws on CBT and systemic approaches that recognises these wider challenges rather than locating problems within the young person alone. Students will build practical strategies for managing emotionally challenging moments, while the adults around them – including families, carers and school staff – are supported to develop compassionate, trauma-informed ways of responding.” 

Tom McBride, Director at Ending Youth Violence Lab, said: “There is good international evidence that CBT can support young people to avoid involvement in serious violence. However, there are very few UK evaluations, so this is an exciting opportunity to find out if approaches that have been effective elsewhere can work here.”