Schools to receive £55,000 mental health trial

Schoolchildren across a district will receive greater mental health support thanks to a new 12-month £55,000 trial.

Funding from Oxfordshire County Council's public health team will go towards training for teachers and tailored emotional health and wellbeing support for pupils in 15 schools across the Cherwell district.

It comes after a report by Oxfordshire Mind found 41% of parents or carers in the area say their primary-aged children are experiencing mental health or wellbeing difficulties.

The pilot scheme will start in April and will focus on eight to 11-year-olds.

Thirty-one schools in the Cherwell district and 215 parents or carers responded to the study.

It found that pupils in Years 4 and 5 were most likely to be struggling, with stress and anxiety identified as the most common issues by both parents and school staff.

Other concerns included anger, low self-esteem and sleep problems.

These were the year groups that began school during the Covid-19 pandemic and all of the school staff surveyed said the prevalence of children with mental health concerns and challenges had increased since the pandemic.

Researchers also highlighted a widespread demand for a blended support offer, combining whole-class emotional wellbeing workshops with one-to-one help, as well as better communication with families about available support.

In addition most staff reported they only partly feel equipped to support pupils' wellbeing, and many pointed to a need for more training in areas such as emotional regulation and neurodiversity.

Councillor Rob Pattenden is the Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities with Cherwell District Council, which commissioned the research.

He said: "It is concerning to see that there is a rise in the number of pupils needing mental health support, but at Cherwell we're taking a targeted, evidence-based approach to addressing it.

"Whether they're thriving or struggling, we want to make sure that primary-aged pupils have access to the right support, embedded in their school's offer.

"This new programme will help children identify and express their feelings, build resilience, and encourage them to seek help when they need it. By improving young people's emotional literacy and support networks, we want to open the door to them enjoying school more and remove those obstacles to academic attainment."

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