Labour’s Mental Health Strategy in Schools: A New Era for Resilience and Pupil Support

The government has unveiled a comprehensive plan aimed at strengthening mental health provision within schools across England, as part of its wider mission to boost attendance, improve behaviour, and prepare young people to cope with the growing demands of modern life.

Labour’s latest move represents not only a delivery on key education-related manifesto pledges but also a broader societal shift in recognising the role of emotional resilience in a child’s development.

The rollout, announced jointly by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, is expected to reach over one million additional pupils this year alone.

With poor mental health increasingly cited as a factor in rising absenteeism and disciplinary issues, the government’s initiative places early intervention and sustained support at the heart of its education and health strategy.

Understanding the Scale of the Problem

Schools across the country are grappling with a silent crisis.

According to the latest data, around 18 per cent of pupils are currently classed as persistently absent—defined as missing 10 per cent or more of school sessions over the academic year.

This represents a notable increase from pre-pandemic levels and raises serious questions about how schools, families, and the state can respond to the complex reasons behind these absences.

Research has shown that consistent school attendance is closely linked with future life outcomes.

A Department for Education (DfE) study revealed that students who are persistently absent in secondary school typically earn £10,000 less by the age of 28 than peers with regular attendance.

These outcomes are not distributed evenly across society.

A new report from the UCL Social Research Institute confirmed that teenagers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly more likely to be excluded—temporarily or permanently—compared to those from more affluent homes.

The message is clear: the intersection of poverty, mental health, and school disengagement is one that requires serious, strategic attention.

Labour’s Response: Building Resilience Through Structured Support

To tackle these challenges head-on, Labour is launching a multi-tiered support system that centres on resilience, early diagnosis, and integrated care within schools.

Key Elements of the Programme:

• Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs): These teams will be deployed to an additional 500 schools, with a focus on identifying children struggling with anxiety, depression, or emotional regulation. The aim is to catch issues early, before they escalate into more serious or chronic conditions.

• Resilience Workshops and Group Sessions: Pupils will have access to structured sessions aimed at developing coping strategies, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving abilities.

• One-to-One Counselling: For students requiring more personalised care, qualified staff will provide individual mental health support, including interventions for anxiety, trauma, or behavioural difficulties.

• Attendance and Behaviour Hubs: 90 schools will become local centres of excellence for behaviour and attendance. These hubs will not only serve their own pupils but will also support up to 4,500 other schools through training, mentorship, and resources.

Why Resilience Matters in 2025

The concept of resilience—the ability to adapt and recover from challenges—has become a central theme in modern education policy.

In an era marked by social media pressures, academic competition, economic uncertainty, and post-pandemic recovery, young people are facing complex emotional demands.

Speaking during a Sky News interview, Bridget Phillipson rejected the suggestion that today’s children simply lack the “grit” of previous generations.

Instead, she described the reality of growing up in 21st-century Britain as “challenging,” highlighting the importance of timely intervention and emotional education.

“It’s often hard to be a young person growing up today.

Life can have its ups and downs.

If we can get in there early when children are having problems, we know we can make a big difference,” she said.

Phillipson also emphasised that addressing mental health concerns is crucial for improving attendance rates and ensuring pupils are in a strong position to thrive both academically and personally.

Long-Term Vision: Reaching 60% of Pupils by 2026

The government’s plan doesn’t stop with this year’s rollout.

By March 2026, Labour aims to extend access to in-school mental health support to 60 per cent of all school-aged children in England.

At present, around 70 per cent of secondary school pupils already benefit from some form of structured emotional wellbeing support, but access at the primary level remains patchy.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting underscored the significance of the strategy for long-term life outcomes:

“Facing mental health problems when you’re young can hold you back in school, damage your potential and leave you with lifelong consequences. It’s devastating and it’s got to change.”

Streeting framed the rollout not just as a health intervention, but as an economic and social imperative—arguing that supporting children early reduces the burden on adult mental health services and gives every child a fairer start.

Table: Overview of the Labour Party’s School Mental Health Initiative (2024–2026)

Challenges Ahead: Funding, Staffing and Implementation

While the plan has been widely praised by educational leaders and health experts, there are concerns about its implementation.

Key Challenges Include:

• Recruitment of Qualified Mental Health Practitioners: The NHS and education sector are already facing staff shortages, particularly in counselling and psychology roles.

• Funding Stability: Ensuring sustained financial support beyond 2026 is essential for making this programme a permanent fixture in UK education.

• Consistency Across Regions: There is a risk that some areas—particularly rural or underfunded communities—may fall behind in service delivery.

• Parental Engagement: For maximum impact, schools will need to work in partnership with families to reinforce resilience strategies at home.

Broader Context: Schools as Social Anchors

This strategy also reflects an evolving view of the role schools play in society.

Increasingly, schools are being positioned as community hubs—places not just for learning, but for health, safety, social development, and family engagement.

With youth mental health now recognised as a public health priority, this policy represents a significant step towards closing the gap between educational outcomes and health equity.

Conclusion: A Welcome Shift, With Work Still to Do

Labour’s commitment to embedding mental health support directly into schools marks a significant departure from the reactive, overstretched systems of the past.

By focusing on resilience, early intervention, and wider access, the policy acknowledges the modern pressures facing young people and seeks to prepare them for life beyond the classroom.

However, its success will depend on sustained investment, clear accountability, and collaboration across education, health, and social care sectors.

If implemented effectively, this strategy could become a model for how public policy can reshape the future of mental health—starting where it matters most: in the formative years of childhood.