Four-fifths of teachers say pupils’ mental health is getting worse

Teachers have warned of a growing “crisis” in pupil mental health, with over 80 per cent saying the problems have got worse in the last two years. Read news piece here

NHS and schools in England will provide expert mental health support

The NHS will work with schools and colleges to make expert mental health support available to a population of more than 470,000 children and young people across England. Read government news here

Centre for Mental Health welcomes plans by the government for a new mental health workforce in schools

Today the Government shared plans to introduce and pilot a new mental health workforce in schools. These plans follow on from the green paper consultation ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health’, which Centre for Mental Health responded to and fed into. See response here 

Learning about mental health in school should be taught alongside literacy and numeracy, says new report

The joint report, ‘What really matters in children and young people’s mental health’ published today by the Values-Based Child and Adolescent Mental Health System Commission, puts the role of schools at the heart of improving mental health services for children and young people. Click here to see RCPsych press release

New ‘Teach First’ to train teachers as mental health specialists

UK charity aims to recruit and develop teachers specially to help vulnerable pupils at risk of exclusion.

Alternative providers support children turned away by other schools. They can make the difference between hope and hopelessness, life and death,’ says Kiran Gill, founder of The Difference.

Secondary school staff get mental health 'first aid' training

From June 2017, teachers in secondary schools around the country will take part in a new training programme to help them identify and respond to early signs of mental health issues in children.

The programme, backed in the first year by £200,000 in government funding, and delivered by the social enterprise Mental Health First Aid, will start with 1,000 staff and extend in years 2 and 3 to cover every secondary school in England. They will receive practical advice on how to deal with issues such as depression and anxiety, suicide and psychosis, self-harm, and eating disorders.

Focus on mental health at Malvern College

MALVERN College is to host a second annual conference for school leaders of primary and preparatory schools on mental health. 

The talk in September will feature experienced educationalists from Malvern College and ‘The Self Esteem Team’ who have advised government and over 300 schools.

They will present the latest well-being strategies which nurture a positive and proactive school culture and help children establish firm foundations for a successful education and a fulfilling adulthood.

More information can be found at malverncollege.org.uk/conferences 

Government funds school resource for drug and alcohol prevention

Public Health England announces new funding to expand Mentor UK’s ADEPIS resource into more schools and community settings.

The programme helps equip young people with the life skills and resilience to deal with the challenges they face with alcohol and drugs.

Evaluation of behaviour change interventions: school nurse toolkit

Public Health England (PHE) - 
This toolkit aims to guide school nurses through evaluations and provides guidance on how to implement results to promote learning, make improvements and demonstrate the impact of interventions.

• Toolkit
• PHE publications