Returning to semi-normal school life after almost two years of interruption has been a huge challenge for school staff, from the logistics of bubbles and closures, to the mental hurdle of mixing in person with so many people again after long periods at home.

It’s understandable, then, that school trips may not have been top of teachers’ and leaders’ lists of priorities of late. But could they actually provide a much-needed boost to pupil mental health in these particularly challenging times?

According to NHS data, the prevalence of mental health conditions in young people is at an all-time high, with around one in six children aged 5 to 16 thought to be suffering from a probable mental disorder.

Ahead of Children's Mental Health Week, Tes senior editor, Simon Lock, meets Lauren Cross, an ex-teacher who is now a research assistant at the University of Cambridge with a specific research interest in mental health in schools in the UK. Joining the conversation is Sam Sillito, headteacher at Queensgate Primary School on the Isle of Wight, a school with a commitment to out-of-classroom learning.

This podcast is sponsored by English Heritage. Let English Heritage support you and your class this term with a unique and memorable school trip. From the Stone Age to the Cold War, discover any of our 400 properties and let your students stand at the places where history happened. Find out more at english-heritage.org.uk/learn/school-visits/