Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the mental health of teachers on the quality of education provided.

The Department regularly commissions research on topics, including the mental health of headteachers, teachers and school staff, for example, the ‘wellbeing’ chapter in the September 2022 wave of the School and College Panel survey, available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1138269/School_and_college_panel_report_for_September_2022.pdf, and wave one of the ‘Working lives of teachers and leaders’ survey, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-lives-of-teachers-and-leaders-wave-1. The Department also monitors emerging research in the field, such as Education Support’s annual wellbeing index report, which reports on the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and education staff. The index report is available at: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/resources/for-organisations/research/teacher-wellbeing-index/.

Supporting the mental health of education staff is crucial to the Department’s commitment to help create a supportive culture in schools and to encourage teacher retention. The Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, published by the Department, sets out commitments from the Government, Ofsted, and schools and colleges to protect and promote the wellbeing of staff. The Charter is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter.

Building on a successful pilot, the Department is funding the charity, Education Support, to provide professional supervision and counselling to headteachers and college leaders. Over 1,000 leaders have benefitted from the support so far. On 12 June 2023, the Department announced the expansion of the programme, by doubling the number of places available this year, so that more headteachers can have access to this valuable support. More information on the programme can be accessed at: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/get-help/help-for-your-staff/wellbeing-services/school-and-fe-leaders-service/.

To help schools and colleges to implement a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing, the Department is offering all state funded schools and colleges a grant to pay for senior mental health lead training. More than 13,800 (58%) of eligible schools and colleges have now received a senior mental health lead training grant. This is part of the Governments’ commitment to offer this training to all schools and colleges by 2025.

Along with the publication of the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter on GOV.UK, the Department also signposts to mental health and wellbeing resources for education staff. This includes Education Support’s free, confidential 24 hour helpline for staff working in education. Details for the helpline are available at: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/get-help/help-for-you/helpline/.

The Department is working proactively with the sector to understand the drivers behind mental health and wellbeing issues, and to improve policies and interventions.