Children's Mental Health Week information from DfE

Please see below for some information that has been released as part of Children’s Mental Health Week. Please do feel free to share this through your networks of schools and colleges.

State of the Nation report into children’s wellbeing

The fourth State of the Nation report that collates and analyses published evidence about the wellbeing of children and young people over the academic year September 2021 to July 2022 has been published recently. It includes:

• statistics on the personal wellbeing of children and young people in England and the UK
• indicators on their:
  • mental and physical health
  • education and skills
  • relationships
  • activities and time use
  • views on the self, society and future.

Better Health Every Mind Matters

Following the input from our social marketing colleagues at last week’s regional CYP leads call please see below and attached image that can be used to promote the resources that are available from the Better Health Every Mind Matters School Zone to support work with 10 to 16 year olds and suggested copy below for promoting this through your networks:

Spark discussions about worry, self-care, sleep and more. Download free PSHE resources co-created with teachers and young people from the Better Health School Zone.

New announcements by DfE

DfE has published a dedicated mental health piece in Education Hub in GOV.UK that trails findings from the State of the Nation report, how this links to what DfE is doing to support children and young people’s wellbeing and making the following announcements:

• that DfE has commissioned an online hub of practical tools and resources specifically to help mental health leads in schools and colleges to develop and sustain their whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing (building on the mentally healthy schools website);
• that DfE has also commissioned a toolkit to support schools and colleges to plan their pastoral offer for pupils and students with social, emotional and mental health needs.

DfE has also published guidance to further support schools and colleges to respond when pupil or students’ mental wellbeing affect their attendance or behaviour.

Throughout the week DfE will also be publishing various products across social media including several school case study films the first of which can be found here and here and several school and college blog pieces showcasing how settings are supporting children and young people’s mental health.

Senior mental health leads grant

With thanks for your continued support, more than 11,700 schools and colleges have now received a senior mental health lead training grant, which includes almost half of the eligible schools and colleges and more than 6 in 10 state-funded secondary schools. The Education and Skills Fund Agency publishes information on the number of schools and colleges that have been supported up to 31 January 2023 - see here ESFA claims publication