Commenting on Labour’s plan to put specialised mental health services into every secondary school, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said:

“NASUWT has campaigned for all state schools in England to have school counsellors as standard, and it is encouraging to see Labour taking steps towards implementing this vision. Children and young people deserve mental health care that is timely, accessible, and tailored to their needs.

“Over 50% of teachers tell us that poor pupil mental health is causing issues in their classrooms, and more than 60% say that their pupils need further input from mental health services.

“We also need to see improved support for pupils in primary schools to secure wraparound care for pupils at all stages of their education.”