Effective school wellbeing practice built on groundbreaking research
Annual BrainWaves Conference
Join us as the research and education communities come together to tackle adolescent mental wellbeing through the latest insights and evidence-based strategies for schools.
BrainWaves Living Well Conference 2026
Our 2026 conference took place on 6th July at Prospero House, London.
Why attend the BrainWaves Living Well conference?
EFFECTIVE WELLBEING STRATEGY BASED ON THE LATEST EVIDENCE
A one-day conference translating cutting-edge research about adolescent wellbeing and mental health into practical insights for schools, researchers, and policy makers.
- Build your whole-school wellbeing strategy based on the latest evidence and insights
- Get actionable strategies aligned with educational priorities and Ofsted guidance around attendance, belonging, and behaviour
- Hear directly from leading experts outlining new insights on the issues shaping student wellbeing today
- Join conversations informing practice in schools and be part of the network shaping change for young people
- Get groundbreaking insight, shared learning, and evidence-informed strategies you can take back into your setting.
This is a unique opportunity for scientists and teachers to engage directly and bridge the gap between evidence-based research and wellbeing initiatives in schools.
Build your whole-school wellbeing strategy with confidence
Explore the issues shaping student wellbeing and gain actionable strategies aligned with current Ofsted guidance around the importance of wellbeing in attendance, belonging, and inclusion.
Be a part of the BrainWaves conversation live
Engage in conversations shaping school practice, exchange perspectives with peers and experts, and gain evidence-informed insights relevant to today’s school communities.
Join a network shaping change for young people
Connect with school leaders and researchers working to improve adolescent wellbeing outcomes. Learn from different perspectives and support evidence-informed practice in schools.
Session Information for BrainWaves Living Well 2026
To access all of these sessions on demand, including access to the presentation slides, please click here. If you attended the conference or have already completed the form, please check your inbox for more details on how to access this page
Session 1: Taking a population approach: Improving mental health and reducing inequalities in young people
In this opening session, Professor John Gallacher (Professor of Cognitive Health, Director of BrainWaves, University of Oxford) will describe the effects and necessity of taking a population approach to adolescent mental health research, whilst Professor Praveetha Patalay (Professor of Population Health and Wellbeing, UCL) will present the latest data highlighting inequalities in adolescent mental health.
Key takeaways:
- Understand how and when gender inequalities in wellbeing widen during the teenage years
- Gain insights into how these disparities might present in your school and how to target your pastoral care more efficiently
- Ensure certain demographic groups don’t suffer from mental ill health disproportionately, with consequences that can last a lifetime
Session 2: Sport, wellbeing, and young people: Beyond simple assumptions
Is sport a good or bad thing for mental wellbeing? In this session, Professor Camilla Knight (Director of Engagement, Impact & Innovation, Greenhouse Sports) and Gavin English (Deputy Head Pastoral, Alleyn’s School) will explore the relationship between sport and young people’s wellbeing, questioning common assumptions that participation is inherently beneficial.
Key takeaways:
- How sport can be a platform for promoting belonging and agency (both strong predictors of mental wellbeing
- How to shift the emphasis on sport away from performance and towards connection and relationships
- What the purpose of sport is and what the goals for sport in your school should be
Session 3a: From attendance to belonging: Tackling the causes of persistent absence
In this practical workshop, Jules Gillard (Postgraduate Researcher, University of Sussex) will present data connecting attendance, belonging and wellbeing, whilst Alex Yates (School Excellence Advisor, Camden Learning) will describe the role of ‘synchrony’ in tackling school avoidance: how vulnerable students can become “out of sync” with school life, and why slow, relational approaches are often more effective than punitive measures.
Key takeaways:
- Understand the psychological and emotional state of persistently absent students
- Practical ways to help vulnerable students feel seen and reconnected to their school community
- The benefits of gradual realignment strategies built on trusted relationships and belonging
Session 3b: Neurodiversity: Addressing behaviours not labels
In this practical, hands-on workshop, Dr Bettina Hohnen (Clinical Psychologist & Honorary Senior Clinical Fellow, UCL) introduces a skills-based approach to addressing neurodiversity in the classroom, centred on executive function.
Key takeaways:
- Learn how a student’s executive function profile can be used to manage common classroom behaviours
- Get hands-on with an innovative tool developed to focus on young people’s skills, not their labels
- Help students recognise their own cognitive profiles and how to self-regulate their learning, leading to reduced teacher-student friction and a more regulated classroom environment
Session 4: Adolescent anxiety: Trends and interventions
In this panel discussion, Dr Matthias Pierce (Senior Research Fellow, University of Manchester) presents the latest data on increasing rates of anxiety among young people, whilst Professor Neil Humphrey (Professor of Psychology of Education, University of Manchester) explores emerging evidence revealing whether young people are now less resilient. Hannah Woods, (Head of Service at the Schools and Colleges Early Support Team, Anna Freud Centre) concludes by presenting the best evidence-based interventions for addressing anxiety in schools.
Key takeaways:
- Understand the real factors influencing adolescent anxiety and mental health
- What schools can do to address these problems through PSHE and pastoral education
- Practical strategies to mitigate young people’s anxiety at a whole-school level
Session 5a: Wellbeing and reducing self-harm risk in young people
In this session, Professor Sarah Bauermeister (Associate Professor, University of Oxford) and Professor Ellen Townsend (Professor of Psychology, University of Nottingham) present their interlinked research into the complexity and dynamics that underpin adolescent self-harm. Showcasing new data, they reveal the drivers of self-harm and what schools can do in response.
Key takeaways:
- Understand the recently discovered link between early adversity and adolescent self-harm
- Identify the key transitions that young people go through leading up to a self-harm episode
- Find out how technology is being used to create innovative support tools for adolescent self-har
Session 5b: Ethnicity and youth mental health: Rethinking inclusive practice in schools
Drawing on data from ‘Born in Bradford’ – one of the UK’s longest-established cohort studies – Dr. Sunil Bhopal (Director of Child Health Research, Bradford Institute of Health Research) explores the root causes behind differing mental health outcomes for young people across various ethnicities.
Key takeaways:
- What ethnicity can tell us about belonging, agency, self-efficacy, and wellbeing
- How this research can transform inclusion practices in your school
- How to support the wellbeing of students from marginalised ethnicities
Session 6: How social media impacts young people’s wellbeing
In this session, Dr James Lian and Dr Morgane Kuenzi (Postgraduate Researchers, University of Oxford) present ground-breaking data from the BrainWaves Cohort Study into how young people actually use social media, and how different patterns of use can heavily influence adolescent mental health.
Key takeaways:
- How young people are using social media and why these patterns are so important to their wellbeing
- Align your PSHE / pastoral curriculum with the latest research
- Help young people in your school use social media in a more positive and informed way
Session 7: Keynote interview: Mental wellbeing in schools: Research and evidence to support policy
In this final session of the day, Sarah Montague (BBC Radio 4 presenter of ‘The World at One’) interviews Professor Michael Thomas (Chief Scientific Advisor, Department for Education) about the current, major challenges around young people’s mental health and how this affects both policy and practice in schools.
This exclusive interview will allow you to:
- Put your questions and concerns direct to the DfE’s Chief Scientific Adviser
- Get insights into the latest DfE policy decisions into mental health and wellbeing
- Ensure your school’s wellbeing policy is aligned with the government’s strategic direction
If you’d like to submit a question in advance, please click here.
Speakers at BrainWaves Living Well 2026
Hannah Woods
Head of Service, Schools & Colleges Early Support Team, Anna Freud
Hannah will be presenting intervention ideas in "Adolescent anxiety: Trends and interventions".
Alex Yates
School Excellence Adviser, Camden Learning
Alex will be speaking on on "From attendance to belonging: Tackling the drivers of persistent absence".
Dr Bettina Hohnen
Clinical Psychologist working with schools and families
Bettina will be leading the workshop on "Neurodiversity: Addressing behaviours not labels".
Professor Michael Thomas
Chief Scientific Adviser, DfE
Michael will be answering questions on "Mental wellbeing in schools: Research and evidence to support policy".
Professor Neil Humprhey
Professor of Psychology of Education, University of Manchester
Neil will be leading the panel discussion on "'Adolescent anxiety: Trends and interventions".
Sarah Montague
BBC Radio 4 Presenter
Sarah will be interviewing Professor Michael Thomas about "Mental wellbeing in schools: Research and evidence to support policy".
Dr Nic Crossley
CEO, LIberty AcademyTrust
Nic will be chairing the session on "Neurodiversity: Addressing behaviours not labels".
Professor Camilla Knight
Director of Impact, Innovation & Engagement, Greenhouse Sports
Camilla will be leading the session on "Sport, wellbeing, and young people: Beyond simple assumptions".
Professor Mireille Toledano
Professor of Population Child Health at Imperial College London,
Mireille will be presenting at the plenary on "'How social media impacts young people's wellbeing".
Gavin English
Deputy Head (Pastoral), Alleyn's School
Gavin will be chairing the session on "Sport, wellbeing, and young people: Beyond simple assumptions".
Jessica Grannatt
Head of Wellbeing & PSHE, Benenden School
Jessica will be speaking about the BrainWaves lessons in the session on "How social media impacts young people's wellbeing".
Dr Sunil Bhopal
Director of Child Health Research, Bradford Institute Health Research
Sunil will be chairing the breakout session on "Ethnicity and youth mental health: Rethinking inclusive practice in schools".
Professor John Gallacher
Professor of Cognitive Health, University of Oxford
John will be leading the plenary on "A population approacht o adolescent mental wellbeing".
Professor Praveetha Patalay
Professor of Population Health and Wellbeing, UCL
Praveetha will be exploring the topic of "Inequalities in adolescent mental health".
Professor Sarah Bauermeister
Assoc. Professor, Psychiatry, University of Oxford
Sarah will be speaking on "Early adversity and self-harm: An underexplored connection".
Dr Matthias Pierce
Senior Research Felllow, University of Manchester
Matthias will be showcasing research on "Adolescent anxiety: Trends and interventions".
Professor Ellen Townsend
Professor of Psychology, University of Nottingham
Ellen will be speaking on "Embracing technology to create support tools for adolescent self-harm".
Dr James Lian
Postdoctoral researcher, University of oxford
James will be presenting BrainWaves data on "How social media impacts young people’s wellbeing".
Jules Gillard
Postgraduate Researcher, University of Sussex
Jules will be speaking on "From attendance to belonging: The psychological aspects of persistent absence".
Dr Morgane Kuenzi
Postdoctoral researcher, University of oxford
Morgane will be presenting research on "How social media impacts young people’s wellbeing".
We’re happy to be partnering with the following charities to bring you BrainWaves Living Well 2026.
If you’d like to find out more about becoming an event partner, please contact the BrainWaves team at conference@brainwaveshub.org.
The conference will feature a lineup of industry leaders and innovators.
If you’d like to find out more about exhibiting at BrainWaves Living Well, please contact the BrainWaves team at conference@brainwaveshub.org.
Register your interest
A Collaborative, Trusted Space
BrainWaves is committed to integrity, independence, and responsible engagement. This conference reflects our values:
- Research grounded in robust data and ethical governance
- Open collaboration between disciplines
- A focus on long-term social value, not short-term solutions
If you’d like to be the first to hear about BrainWaves Living Well 2027, complete the form below.
3 things affecting teenagers’ mental health
Researchers at the BrainWaves conference last week summarised a range of studies that tell us more about adolescent wellbeing, and how schools might be able to support young people’s mental health
Early intervention vital to address teen mental health crisis, conference hears
Overdiagnosis is not the cause of rising mental illness in young people, a mental health conference heard this week.
To discuss sponsorship or find out more, please get in touch with the BrainWaves team at conference@brainwaveshub.org.
Together, we can ensure that research leads to real-world impact for young people.