How to support a pupil living with an Eating Disorder
Published: January 2026
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can affect children and young people when they use food control to manage difficult emotions or stress. Schools play a key role in noticing early changes, supporting emotional wellbeing, and helping pupils access care. Early recognition and supportive action can make a real difference to a pupil’s recovery and long-term wellbeing. In this short, practical film, Dr Sian Williams provides evidence-based guidance for teachers, school staff, and pastoral teams on how to:
- Recognise early warning signs of eating disorders in pupils
- Understand how eating disorders can look different for each child
- Distinguish between typical dieting or faddy eating and disordered eating
- Foster a positive school culture around body image, language, and self-worth
- Promote body acceptance and emotional resilience through everyday teaching
- Create safe, inclusive, and supportive classroom environments
- Identify physical, emotional, and behavioural indicators of risk
- Understand vulnerability factors, including anxiety, perfectionism, trauma, or OCD
- Collaborate with safeguarding leads and healthcare professionals
- Make reasonable adjustments to support pupils while at school
Who this resource is for:
- Classroom teachers and teaching staff
- SENCOs and inclusion teams
- Pastoral and wellbeing leads
- Safeguarding teams and designated safeguarding leads (DSLs)
- School leaders focused on pupil mental health
Why this guidance matters:
Research shows that early awareness and supportive action from school staff can improve recovery outcomes for young people with eating disorders. You don’t need to diagnose or treat a disorder yourself – but your attentive, compassionate response may be the first step in helping a pupil access the care they need.
