More pupils have mental health issues, say school staff
More children have mental health issues than two years ago, a survey of school teachers suggests.
More than half of 850 staff surveyed by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) agreed more pupils had developed problems.
On Monday, the ATL’s annual conference will debate a call for more support for vulnerable pupils in schools.
General secretary Dr Mary Bousted blamed “poverty, poor housing, unemployment and financial insecurity”.
School staff have had to “plug the gaps in social care as best they can”, said Dr Bousted.
A survey of headteachers, the first of its kind, has found significant gaps in the “critical” treatment of their pupils’ mental health needs.
The survey, conducted by the CentreForum thinktank’s mental health commission, found that headteachers at more than half of schools in England believe the referral system for sending their pupils to child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) is not working. Experts say it is vital to identify pupils who need support with mental health issues early on.
