Primary Schools: A Key Setting for Early Mental Health Intervention

Jamie Smith MBE

Director of Schools at Anna Freud

Jaime Smith MBE, Director of Schools at Anna Freud – a mental health charity for children and young people – argues primary schools are key settings for early intervention and prevention, but more support is needed

It’s Children’s Mental Health Week and, more than ever, we need to think about how best to build the wellbeing of the next generation.  One in five children and young people in England has a probable mental health disorder,¹ and the number of children and young people in contact with mental health services has more than doubled since 2018.^2,3  

With specialist services under severe pressure, at Anna Freud we want to see an increased focus on early intervention and prevention, as outlined in our Thinking Differently manifesto  – a blueprint for how we believe children and young people’s mental health should be supported. Primary schools are uniquely placed to provide early support, including teaching children emotional and social skills, the language to recognise and deal with emotions and where to find support when needed, along with helping to build a sense of belonging. This can provide crucial protection against mental ill health.

However, with a lack of capacity and resources, primary school staff need more support. Here’s how policymakers can help.

Build a Whole-School Approach

School and clinical staff tell us they’re increasingly seeing primary school-aged children experiencing problems like anxiety, difficulties with emotional regulation (the ability to manage emotions) and dealing with effects from trauma. There are many factors behind this; from rising levels of poverty and racial discrimination to the long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected the development of the current cohort of primary school children.

We’re also seeing more children being identified as neurodivergent with, for example, a 787% rise in autism diagnoses between 1998 and 2018 in the UK.⁴

Increasing rates of additional needs and mental health challenges can – in part – be addressed through a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, driven by a more inclusive school system. Along with academic achievement, at Anna Freud we want educational models to value social, emotional and physical development, along with recognising difference and championing equity.

There have been positive steps recently – such as a commitment to increase Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision – but more can be done. For example, we want to see a wider children’s mental health workforce and greater access to mental health professionals in schools to ensure children get the support they need at the right time.

Measure Wellbeing

Measuring the wellbeing of pupils and staff can highlight specific needs within primary school and help them to tailor effective support. The Child Outcomes Research Consortium (CORC), an Anna Freud project, offers tools to help schools identify wellbeing needs within their setting and evaluate the impact of interventions and support.

However, for systemic change pupil wellbeing needs to be measured nationally. As a founding member of #BeeWell together with Pro Bono Economics, the Fair Education Alliance and the Children’s Society, we’re calling for a national wellbeing measurement to be included in Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – which is currently going through parliament – through the Our Wellbeing, Our Voice campaign. This would provide significant opportunities both locally and nationally to improve policy and programme delivery using the latest evidence and data. By listening to children, we can much more effectively understand and address the issues they’re facing.

Train and Support Staff

Primary school staff are not mental health professionals and should never be expected to be, but they are in a valuable position to build children’s wellbeing at an early age. To do this, they need appropriate training to understand how they can support pupil wellbeing through their everyday roles.  

To give staff these tools at the earliest possible stage, we want initial teacher training to be strengthened with content on how to build good mental wellbeing across the school community. This would also support staff wellbeing, which is vital for retention.

Central to the training should be an emphasis on building relationships with parents and carers.  Primary school is a valuable time to deliver messages about mental health and wellbeing to parents – they tend to be more physically available than during secondary school – including potential signs of mental ill health to look out for.

Final Thought

These are just some of the ways primary schools can be better supported to build the wellbeing of children at an early stage. We know they can protect against mental-ill health and intervene before problems potentially escalate, helping to ensure young people can thrive.  However, education staff cannot do this alone. We need to refocus funding and ensure staff are appropriately trained and resourced to help them build better mental health and wellbeing across the school community.

Learn more about Anna Freud’s mental health and wellbeing support, resources and training for schools and colleges.

References

1. Newlove-Delgado T, Marcheselli F, Williams T, Mandalia D, Dennes M, McManus S, Savic M, Treloar W, Croft K, Ford T. (2023) Mental health of children and young people in England, 2023 – Wave 4 follow up to the 2017 survey. NHS England. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2023-wave-4-follow-up
2. NHS Digital. (2024, October 10). Mental health services monthly statistics, performance August 2024. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics/performance-august-2024
3. NHS Digital. (2018, October 11). Mental health services monthly statistics – Final July, provisional August 2018. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics/final-july-provisional-august-2018
4. Ginny Russell, Sal Stapley, Tamsin Newlove-Delgado, Andrew Salmon, Rhianna White, Fiona Warren, Anita Pearson, Tamsin Ford. (2021) Time trends in autism diagnosis over 20 years: a UK population-based cohort study. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.13505

For more of Curia UK’s insight on mental health policy, please click here.