- Work will commence in September, with publication expected in December 2024.
- We will be accepting stakeholder contributions until Friday 25th October.
- More information on how to contribute to POST research is available in our guidance for contributors.
Evidence shows that children with higher levels of emotional, behavioural, social and school wellbeing are more engaged in school and have higher academic achievements. Children are experiencing challenges with mental health, a report by NHS England found that 20.3% of children aged 8 to 16 years had a probable mental disorder in 2023. In addition to this, evidence suggests that school absences have been higher since the pandemic. Government data shows that, for the academic year 2023-2024, 20.7% of pupils were identified as ‘persistently absent’ (defined as missing 10% or more of their possible school sessions).
Children may miss school for a variety of reasons, including emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), such as experiencing anxiety or distress related to school attendance. School behavioural outcomes are also declining. Data for England (2022-23) shows a peak in the annual number of recorded suspensions and permanent exclusions across state-funded schools in England.
The 2024 Kings Speech set out the Government’s intentions to introduce a Children’s Wellbeing Bill. Among other changes, the Bill would seek to ensure the provision of free breakfast clubs in all primary schools and require local authorities to have and maintain ‘Children Not in School’ registers. The Government has also set out plans to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.
This POSTnote will summarise the evidence on children’s school wellbeing and behaviour, including poor mental health and absences. It will also outline the evidence on which school interventions and approaches may effectively support children with their mental health, behaviour and attendance.