A new survey has found there are high levels of parental concern about pupil mental health and teacher welfare in Britain’s schools.
The Ipsos survey focused on attitudes to education in Britain and how well people rate the quality of the nation’s schools, colleges and universities. Over 2,200 British adults aged 18 or over were quizzed in May 2023, including 801 parents with children in education.
Published earlier this month, the findings highlight key areas of concern for the public and, specifically, parents.
Pupil mental health support a key concern
Although, in general, respondents felt that schools were performing well overall, pupil mental health was the main concern for parents of school-aged children, with just under half (45%) saying they were worried about this.
Around 1 in 3 parents were concerned about their child’s social life and friendships, and a similar proportion had worries about their physical health.
The survey also identified widespread concerns about support for the wellbeing of school staff, and the need for greater provision for Special Education Needs (SEN).
When asked to rate the quality of British primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities, almost half of the public as a whole (49%) said they were very or fairly good. For those who were parents of children in education, this figure rose to 57%.
Staff welfare impacting school performance
However, when asked to rate the quality of British schools in specific criteria, the public were less positive about how well they were addressing issues such as pupil mental health (27%) and staff wellbeing (24%).
Both pupil mental health and SEN provision topped the list of priorities the public wants the government to focus on in schools, with over a third (36%) mentioning these issues. Free school meals for all pupils and more teaching assistants to support teachers were also mentioned by more than 3 in 10 respondents (34% and 32% respectively).
Parents of school-aged children agreed that free school meals (37%), more teaching assistants (33%) and SEN and mental health provision (29%) were the top priorities.
The Chief Executive of Ipsos UK and Ireland, Kelly Beaver MBE, said it was “reassuring” that the general public and parents of children in education believe the quality of education in Britain is good, but cited “a number of areas of concern, including student mental health support and staff wellbeing.”
She added:
“With another round of teachers strikes due next month, it seems that staff welfare is an issue both teachers and the public agree on – an issue that will need to be addressed if the Government seek to improve public opinion of schooling overall.”
Support pupil mental health with training
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food safety, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.
They work with a large number of early years and childcare providers, as well as schools, colleges, universities and children’s services.
Their course portfolio includes a range of mental health-related training in key topics such as Understanding Mental Health, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Anxiety Awareness, Self-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness as well as training in SEND Awareness and Learning Disabilities Awareness.
A trainer from FRT says:
“Pupils and teachers have had a difficult few years following the Covid-19 pandemic, national lockdowns, missed exams and milestones and now the pressure to ‘catch up’ again.
“National charities and support groups have been telling us all for some time now that this has led to an increase in pupil mental health problems, and it’s also safe to assume that many teachers have experienced difficulties when it comes to their own mental health and wellbeing.
“It’s understandable, then, that both parents and the general public as a whole, wants the government to prioritise mental health support in schools. Training for school staff is one key way in which schools can boost the support available for all.”
For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.