Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to ensure schools take account of the NHS five steps to mental wellbeing in their education provision.

The department is working to support children and young people to thrive and achieve at school as a critical part of its mission to break down barriers to opportunity. That is why this government is working to ensure the right support is available to every young person that needs it, which includes providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support in schools, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.

Additionally, we recognise that mental health is built over a lifetime and know that the NHS’s 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing guidance can provide a useful framework for children and young people to learn how to develop good habits for their mental wellbeing. Schools may choose to take account of the 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing when considering their education provision, alongside the department’s guidance on the 8 principles of a whole school or college approach to promoting mental health and wellbeing. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing.