6 must read texts on mindset, resilience, grit and character

Natasha Devon, until recently the government's mental health champion for schools, said before departing from her post:

Time and time again young people – and the people who teach them – have spoken out about how a rigorous culture of testing and academic pressure is detrimental to their mental health. At one end of the scale we've got four year olds being tested, at the other end we've got teenagers leaving school and facing the prospect of leaving university with record amounts of debt. Anxiety is the fastest growing illness in under 21s. These things are not a coincidence.

Is she right? Are our children over-tested and over anxious? If so, what should we do about it?

Few argue that there should be no testing of young people. But maybe we have got the balance and frequency of pupil assessment wrong and what are the strategies and interventions that will help our young people cope and manage their lives better? Can we help them develop more resilience and teach techniques to relieve stress? Or is that just a 'new age fad'?

We've compiled below some of the books and research available that offer useful insights and practical guidance for teachers.

Teaching character in the primary classroom

Get some headspace: 10 minutes can make the difference 

Teaching character through subjects 

Mindset: the new psychology of success

Getting gritty with it

Teaching character in the primary classroom.