ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a research-informed discussion about the different functions of school culture and climate and how these can be used to promote students' academic learning as well as mental health. It covers several core elements associated with a positive school climate, such as how a school might be organised, how children are identified or screened for academic and/or mental health difficulties, leadership attributes, school policy, the social environment and the physical layout of the school environment. At the same time, costs per student decrease as school size increases, which perhaps explains why approximately 70% of US high school students are enrolled in schools with 1,000 or more students. Universal screening approaches allow schools to intervene early before problems become entrenched and severe. Related to screening initiatives in schools, it is important to understand what we mean by “at-risk” students, who they are and how to capture them.
