Almost a million pupils to benefit from mental health support

As part of the government’s pledge that all school pupils will have access to mental health support by 2029-30, recent steps will mean that 900,000 pupils are to benefit from mental health support in school this year. 

Backed by £680 million government funding this year, there will be specialise support teams to identify and tackle problems, such as group sessions to build children’s resilience to one-to-one sessions to manage anxiety, which aim to both boost attendance and improve children’s mental health.

The comes as government has announced a new programme to provide intensive support for 500 schools that face serious attendance and behaviour challenges, which will see new attendance behaviour hubs built around 90 schools to tackle the schools with the highest need.

New research that links together mental health problems and missing school has informed the government's double-pronged approach.

Mental Health Support Teams are made up of specialists who intervene early with children who have mild to moderate mental health issues and support them to work through challenges, as well as developing a whole-school approach to mental health and liaise with teachers and external services like the NHS.

The boost to mental health services in schools will mean that 60 per cent of pupils will be able to access a mental health support team by March 2026. Rollout will work on a needs basis so as to reach the most vulnerable children first.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "We inherited a system full of challenges and breaking the vicious cycle of poor mental health, low attendance and bad behaviour among children and young people is the most urgent one facing our schools – and this government is already turning the tide.

"Expanding mental health support for young people is one of the single biggest steps we can take to improve children’s life chances, make sure all pupils are getting the very most out of school and deliver excellence for every child. 

"Taken alongside new intensive support for schools that are struggling, our free breakfast clubs for millions of children and our wider work to drive up school attendance, this government will continue using all available levers to break the destructive link between background and success and deliver on our Plan for Change."