Latest figures show that one in five children and young people are suffering with their mental health. Recent research has shown that over 50% of children and young people are identifying their experiences of school as the biggest contributing factor of their poor mental health, noting high levels of pressure and psychological distress caused by school practices.
The pandemic often gets the blame. However, children’s mental health had been declining way before then. Over the last 15 years I have been alarmed by the increasing number of children presenting with school-related anxiety, trauma, and burnout. I see children who are excluded from school one way or another, children who feel worthless, and children who are so burnt out due to their experiences of school that they can barely leave the house and no longer see the point in living.
We know there is a record number of children not in school. I see more and more children who are unable to attend because of it being a place that causes them too much distress, parents who are blamed and fined instead of supported, and whole families who are traumatised by their experiences.
According to latest figures, the number of children with education, health, and care plans (EHCPs), where social emotional and mental health (SEMH) is the main area of need, has risen by 77.8% in the last six years. The delays in getting access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are well documented and all too often we see families seeking support but falling through gaps between services until they reach crisis point. A renewed focus on prevention is needed to address our school to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) pipeline.
But what’s the cause? The answer is that it’s systemic.
We know what conditions are needed for healthy child development and psychologically healthy systems and we know how children learn best. This is the ideal time for government to review what is happening in schools.
Children learn best through play up until the age of seven and play is essential for all aspects of child development, including physical, language and cognitive, social, emotional resilience, and wellbeing. Yet the Raising the Nation Play Commission has found children are spending significantly less time outdoors, declining by 50% in a generation.
Children need to have enough movement, time in nature and the opportunity to be creative. We also know that children need schools to provide them with enough autonomy, connection with others and a feeling of competence to drive motivation and allow them to thrive psychologically.
There is robust evidence for restorative, trauma-attachment informed approaches to understanding and supporting children’s behaviour in schools. Likewise, there is a wealth of evidence for the psychological harm caused by inflexible behaviour policies within schools. Central government, DfE and Ofsted must take note, or risk prioritising a one-size-fits-all, exam-driven system.
Whilst children go to school to learn (something I am often reminded of by school leaders) they spend many hours of their childhood there and parents send them to school “in loco parentis.” I can say with certainty that if we asked every parent in the land about their priorities for their children, most would prioritise their children’s happiness and wellbeing. They would want to send their children to school with the hope they enjoy learning, discover their interests, and achieve academically so that they can develop into healthy, well-rounded adults.
There are some amazing, inspirational examples in this country and globally of schools and leaders with both high academic standards and children’s holistic development at their core. They provide an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We need headteachers and leadership teams who are brave to ask what the purpose of education is, rather than second guessing what Ofsted want, or striving to be at the top of a league table. Only then can we enable children to feel happy, be emotionally resilient, and be independent critical thinkers ready to find their way in the world.
