Department for Education launches mental health trials in schools
Education Secretary Damian Hinds has announced that up to 370 schools in England will be taking part in a series of trials testing different approaches to supporting young people’s mental health.
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.
Education Secretary Damian 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.”
The trials will include mindfulness exercises, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises to help children regulate their emotions, alongside pupil sessions with mental health experts. 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.
Mr Hinds also confirmed the nine areas across the country that will trial new high-quality mental health assessments for young people entering care, helping them get the support they need to meet their individual needs at a time when they are more vulnerable.
Schools North East has been a longstanding advocate of improving mental health and wellbeing in schools, having launched the UK’s first schools-led mental health commission, Healthy MindED, in 2016.
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