Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support all schools in England to appoint a designated pupil mental health lead.

This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.

Over 90% of schools report having a designated mental health lead. The department provides guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing in schools. For example, a resources hub and a toolkit to help choose evidence-based early support for pupils. These can be found here: https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/, and here: https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.

The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

As at March 2025, 10,100 schools and colleges were supported by an MHST. By April 2026, we estimate an additional 900,000 pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST, around 6 million in total, or 60% of all pupils and learners, up from around 5 million in April 2025.

The government will also recruit an additional 8,500 mental health staff to treat children and adults and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.