Nationwide mental health trials set to recruit more schools

The Department for Education has announced nationwide trials to boost the evidence about what works to support mental health and wellbeing.

According to the DfE, these will take place in up to 370 schools.

The study will run until 2021 and aims to give schools new, robust evidence about what works best for their students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds also confirmed that nine areas across the country will trial new high-quality mental health assessments for young people entering care

Hinds said: "Schools and teachers don’t have all the answers, nor could they, but we know they can play a special role which is why we have launched one of the biggest mental health trials in schools. These trials are key to improving our understanding of how practical, simple advice can help young people cope with the pressures they face."

"To support this, we’re introducing compulsory health education in all schools, within which children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, wellbeing and happiness right from the start of primary school."

Led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in partnership with University College London, the school study is now in its second wave and recruiting more primary and secondary schools to join.

Dr Jessica Deighton from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families said:

"We know schools have a strong commitment to supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing but have had little clear guidance about the best ways to approach this.

We also need to better identify the mental health needs of the most vulnerable children in society, particularly children in the care system, and an improved mental health framework will greatly help."