Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effect of the 11-plus exam of young people's mental health and well-being; and if she will make a statement.

The Schools that Work for Everyone consultation outlined proposals for increasing the number of good school places available, including proposals to allow existing selective schools to expand and new selective schools to open. We proposed in the consultation that new and expanding schools should ensure that there are opportunities to join selective schools at different ages, such as 14 and 16, as well as 11. The consultation closed on 12 December. The government is considering the submissions received and will publish its response in due course.

Good mental health and wellbeing are a priority for the Department. We have high aspirations for all children and want them to be able to fulfil their potential, both academically and in terms of their mental health. There is a lot that schools can do to prepare pupils well to take tests and exams, and to help parents support their children. Good teaching is one of the most important factors in making sure that pupils feel ready. Good leaders know that positive mental wellbeing supports attainment, and make that part of the overall school ethos.

We want to look across the whole school system to identify where mental health provisions need to be improved, whether that is in schools or how we better connect schools into services that may be more specialised. We have supported schools by:

• Funding the PSHE Association to publish guidance and a set of age –appropriate lesson plans on teaching about mental health issues;

• Publishing of a blueprint for school counselling services which provides schools with practical, evidence-based advice on how to deliver high quality school-based counselling to all pupils;

• Issuing advice on behaviour and mental health which provides teachers with information and tools that will help them to identify pupils who need help, provide effective early support and understand when a referral to a specialist mental health service may be necessary; and

• Funding the development of MindEd, a free online resource which allows all those working with children and young people to access information on a range of mental health issues.

The Prime Minister’s speech in January has further emphasised this Government’s commitment to improve mental health for all children and young people and announced that the Departments for Health and Education would publish a green paper on CYP’s mental health

The Green Paper aims to secure effective activity from prevention to provision of specialist support, at different stages and different settings across health, education and care settings, as well as access to services, and the role of social media.