Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the University of Manchester's research entitled Social and Emotional Learning for Every Child: Why SEL Matters, published on 6 November 2024.

Schools have a statutory duty, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development. The department published guidance in 2014 to support schools in delivering that requirement.

In health education, which is part of mandatory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), there is a strong focus on mental wellbeing, including a recognition that mental wellbeing and physical health are linked.

The aim of teaching pupils about mental wellbeing and physical health is to give them the information they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing, recognise issues in themselves and others and, when issues arise, how to seek support. This includes learning how to recognise and talk about their emotions, the benefits of exercise and self-care techniques, as well as developing pupils’ resilience and their ability to self-regulate and recognise the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns.

The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public the consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence.