Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what curriculum requirements there are in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools to teach mental health.

The Government wants all young people to be happy, healthy and safe. Good mental health is central to this aim.

The Department is making Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools, Relationships and Sex Education compulsory in all secondary schools and Health Education compulsory in all state-funded schools. A consultation has been launched on the draft guidance and regulations which closes on the 7 November, and is available to view here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education.

The draft statutory guidance sets out the core content that primary and secondary schools will teach.

The guidance and regulations were informed by a thorough engagement process. The public call for evidence received over 23,000 responses from parents, young people and schools. The Department has also consulted 90 organisations representing a broad range of views. A summary of the call for evidence has been published alongside the consultation. Schools will be required to start teaching the subjects from September 2020. Schools that want to teach the new subjects from September 2019 will be encouraged to do so.