We’ve allocated over £17 billion since 2015 for keeping schools all over the country in good condition. That includes £1.8 billion for the 2024-25 financial year.
Most of the funds are given to local authorities, large multi-academy trusts, and large voluntary aided school groups, to invest in maintaining and improving the condition of their schools.
Other funding is targeted on essential maintenance projects at small and stand-alone academy trusts, other voluntary aided schools, and sixth-form colleges.
Schools and sixth form colleges are also allocated their own capital funding to spend on smaller projects, or improvements to facilities, such as ICT.
We regularly monitor the condition of school buildings across England, and our recent condition survey shows that over 95% of the grades given to the different elements of buildings assessed were As and Bs – meaning they’re in a good or satisfactory condition.
We have allocated over £17 billion since 2015 for keeping schools in good working order, including £1.8 billion committed for 2024-25.
Included in this funding for 2024-25 is £1.15 billion in School Condition Allocations (SCA). This is funding for local authorities, large multi-academy trusts, dioceses, and other large voluntary aided school groups, to invest in maintaining and improving the condition of their schools.
Almost £450 million has also been made available for the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) programme this year. This includes support for over 850 essential maintenance projects at small and stand-alone academy trusts, voluntary aided schools, and sixth-form colleges.
The fund also provides Urgent Capital Support for these schools where there are serious issues that threaten immediate school closure.
Also included in the funding this year is over £200 million that has been allocated directly for schools to spend on projects to meet their own capital priorities. This is called Devolved Formula Capital (DFC).
We are also investing in new and refurbished buildings at over 500 schools through our School Rebuilding Programme.
Our approach with this investment is working - over 95% of school building elements surveyed as part of the Condition Data Collection (CDC) between 2017 and 2019 were in good or satisfactory condition (condition grade A or B).
Only a very small percentage - 0.3% - of building components needed replacing straight away (Grade D).
As a department we are most concerned by the grade Ds - which refer to materials that are due to be replaced – for core elements of buildings.
Early indications in our successor survey, Condition Data Collection 2, (CDC2), alongside feedback from responsible bodies, shows that in almost every case where a Grade D component was identified in the first survey has now been addressed.
Over this decade, our School Rebuilding Programme is transforming over 500 schools in the most need of renovation.
Schools are selected for the programme according to their condition.
A list of confirmed projects is available, including information on when each was announced.
Last year, to ensure schools continue to be safe for staff and pupils, we changed our approach to managing a building material found in some school buildings and other education settings, known as Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).
The new guidance advises education settings to vacate areas that are known to contain RAAC, unless or until suitable mitigations are in place.
We’ve supported schools with confirmed RAAC with additional funding for mitigation work where needed, such as propping and temporary accommodation on site.
We are also working to permanently remove RAAC from school and college buildings across England.
This is being funded either through grants or the School Rebuilding Programme.
Schools and colleges where removing RAAC will typically be on a smaller scale, will receive grant funding, while those where works to remove RAAC are more extensive or complex will be funded through the School Rebuilding Programme.
It’s important to remember that only around 1% of schools and colleges in England have confirmed RAAC in some areas of their buildings.
Asbestos management in schools is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and we follow their expert advice.
The HSE advises that, as long as materials are in good condition, well protected, and unlikely to be damaged or disturbed, it is usually safer to manage them in place.
However, if the asbestos is found to be at a significant risk of disturbance or accidental damage and it’s not safe to leave where it is, it is the duty holder’s responsibility to make sure it is removed by a trained specialist.
We’re working with the sector to promote best practice and guidance so that schools are aware of their duties to keep children and teachers safe.
We previously run an Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) - a voluntary survey we launched in March 2018 to understand the steps schools and those responsible for their estate were taking to manage asbestos.
Over 20,600 schools in England responded and it showed that most schools continue to follow core statutory duties.
We are now collecting Information from schools on how they are managing asbestos through our Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2), which started in 2021 and will complete in 2026. It is expected to cover all state funded schools.
It is the responsibility of those who run our schools – typically academy trusts, local authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools’ day-to-day to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools. They should alert us if there is a serious concern with a building they cannot manage.
We provide access to funding, targeted towards where it is most needed, to help them carry out these responsibilities, alongside a package of other guidance and support.
We provide additional support on a case-by-case basis if we are alerted to a serious safety issue.
31% of the floor area of the school estate is modern – having been built since 2000.
The age of a building does not mean it is at the end of its life.
While schools can expect reasonable wear and tear, buildings that are well kept can be fit for purpose beyond their original design.
To support schools that do need buildings replaced, our School Rebuilding Programme will transform buildings at over 500 schools over the next decade, prioritising schools in poor condition and with evidence of potential safety issues.
As part of our climate change and sustainability strategy, we are assessing emissions and the risk posed to schools by the impact of climate change, like flooding.
This will allow us to set targets and act efficiently, cost-effectively and with the least disruption.
Any new or refurbished school delivered centrally by the DfE will be designed to be Net Zero in operation and include a wide set of adaptive measures to respond to climate change.
We have also published guidance for settings on how to become more sustainable and worked closely with other departments to support access to government funding for schools and colleges to help reduce or eliminate their carbon dioxide emissions.
From May 2025, all schools will be able to access a new Sustainability Leadership digital hub and support service.
]]>All pupils should have access to the resources and support needed to fulfil their potential.
Last year, we unveiled an ambitious plan, which set out our aims to change the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision system in England.
Over the past year, we’ve been delivering against this plan and rolling out measures to ensure the educational system meets the needs of all children and young people.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Councils are required to provide services for children and young people with SEND but we know that it’s not always easy for parents to find the support they need for their child in their local area.
To help, we are investing £850 million into local authorities across the country to improve services. Local authorities can use this money to create new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve existing buildings to make them more accessible and suitable for all.
This funding is part of a £2.6 billion package we’ve committed to improve SEND services between 2022 and 2025.
This will provide over 60,000 new places for children or young people with SEND or who require alternative provision.
We’ve also allocated £13 million for mainstream schools to make sure they have the resources to cater to neurodiverse children and help them to thrive.
While reasonable adjustments are made in mainstream schools for pupils with SEND, we know that for some children, a specialist setting may be a better fit.
Special schools are specifically designed for pupils with complex needs, with tailored support and specialist equipment such as sensory appliances and communication aids.
As well as the funding for local authorities, we’re improving the availability of these facilities through the special free schools programme.
108 of these schools are now open and 92 more will open in due course, which includes the 30 new successful applications to run special free schools.
Apprenticeships are a brilliant option for young people looking to develop their skills and gain a degree-level education. It’s vital that these programmes remain accessible to everyone.
In January 2024, we launched a year-long mentoring support pilot for apprentices with learning difficulties or disabilities.
Through this scheme, we offer advice and training for prospective mentors and providers to ensure they’re equipped to offer apprentices the support they need. The training offer is now live, and mentors are currently being matched with their apprentices.
We’re aware that achieving a level 2 qualification in English and Maths can be a barrier to completing apprenticeships for students with learning difficulties and disabilities.
Last May, a pilot was launched, allowing these students to take these subjects at a lower level (entry level 3), irrespective of whether or not they currently have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
This means more students are able to study English and Maths at this level, helping more young people to achieve their apprenticeships.
You can find out more about the funding granted to your local authority, here.
To find out what support is available where you live, visit your local authority’s website and search for SEND.
You can also find out more on your area’s Local Offer website – simply type your local authority’s name and ‘SEND local offer’ into your search engine.
]]>Being active can have a hugely positive impact on children’s physical and mental health.
Announced on International Women’s Day last year, our plans also make it clear that girls and boys should be able access the same sports.
We have also published new guidance to help schools provide equal access to sport for their pupils, regardless of their background or whether they are a boy or a girl.
Here’s what you need to know.
Building on our commitments made to the Lionesses following their historic Euros 2022 victory, schools will now be expected to offer all sports equally to girls and boys.
From September 2023, schools that successfully deliver equal sporting opportunities for girls and boys will be rewarded through the updated School Games Mark, to recognise their commitment to the development of sports competition across their school and in the community.
Selected schools around England will be able to keep their sport facilities open for activities outside school hours through Government funding worth £57 million. This will especially benefit girls, disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs.
Schools are asked to offer a minimum of two hours curriculum PE time.
We have provided support to schools on how to do this through the school sport and activity action plan, alongside new non-statutory guidance which showcases how schools across the country are providing excellent PE provision.
Alongside this work, Ofsted will be publishing a report into PE in the coming months, which is expected to set out what high quality PE looks like, including equal access to sports.
We have also pledged a total of over £600 million in funding across the next two years for the PE and Sport Premium.
Designed to help children get an active start in life, the PE and Sport Premium gives more children access to high quality PE lessons and sporting opportunities.
Headteachers can choose how best to spend the money. For example, funds could be used for teacher training, offering more opportunities for pupils to take part in competition, and expanding the range of sports on offer.
]]>Cases of measles are rising across England, including among children. It’s an infection that spreads very easily and for some people can cause serious problems.
There’s no specific medical treatment for measles, so it’s important to get vaccinated as it’s the best protection against becoming seriously unwell.
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is one of the routine childhood vaccinations, so most children are already vaccinated against measles. If your child has received both doses of the vaccine, they are unlikely to have the virus.
Here, we explain everything you need to know about the rise in measles cases, from getting your child vaccinated to when to keep them off school.
Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms (cough, runny nose), a high temperature, and red, sore, watery eyes (conjunctivitis), followed by a rash a few days later. The rash looks brown or red on white skin. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin.
The rash typically starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body. Some people may also get small white spots (Koplik spots) in their mouth.
Find out more on the NHS website.
If a child has been vaccinated, it is highly unlikely they have measles.
You should ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you think you or your child may have measles.
Don’t go to the GP or any other healthcare setting without calling ahead first to prevent the further spread of measles.
If your child has been diagnosed with measles by a doctor, they should stay off nursery or school for at least 4 full days from when the rash first appears.
They should also avoid close contact with babies and anyone who is pregnant or has a weakened immune system.
The best protection against measles for children and adults is to get both doses of the MMR vaccine.
Children are offered a vaccine free on the NHS at 12-months-old and then a second dose when they turn 3-years-and-4-months-old.
But you can catch up at any age – if you or your child haven’t yet been vaccinated, you should contact your GP practice to book a free appointment.
Two doses of the MMR vaccine offer lifelong protection against measles.
In the UK, we have 2 MMR vaccines which work very well. One of them contains porcine gelatine and the other one doesn’t. If anyone would prefer to have the vaccine that does not contain gelatine, they can talk to their practice nurse or GP.
If your child has been vaccinated, it’s very unlikely that they have measles.
School attendance is vitally important to your child’s learning and health.
According to the NHS, it’s fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or common cold, provided they don’t have a temperature.
If your child has measles, they should stay off nursery or school for the entire infectious period (4 days before the rash first appears and for at least 4 full days from when the rash first appears where the date the rash appears is day 0). They should avoid close contact with babies and anyone who is pregnant or has a weakened immune system.
Your child can go back to their education or childcare setting once they feel well and following the completion of the 4 day period after the rash first appears.
If your child is unvaccinated against measles and is a close contact of a measles case (for instance a sibling), the health protection team may advise that your child should remain off school or nursery for a number of days to reduce the spread of meases. The number of days will vary on the circumstances.
The best way to protect your child from measles and ensure they can continue to attend school is to ensure they have both doses of the MMR vaccine.
If you’re not sure whether your child is due a vaccination or has missed a vaccination, you can check their Red Book or contact your GP practice.
If your child has missed their first or second dose of MMR vaccine, you should contact your GP practice to book an appointment.
Your child should continue to attend school if another pupil has been diagnosed with measles as long as they have no symptoms and have not been advised otherwise by the Health Protection Team or GP.
Most children will be protected against measles if they have had both their MMR vaccinations.
The local Health Protection Team will work with the school or setting to advise on further action.
If a child has been vaccinated, it is highly unlikely they have measles.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111, let them know you suspect measles.
Measles can spread to others easily. Call your GP surgery before you go in. They may suggest talking over the phone.
You can also call 111 or get help from 111 online.
The child or staff member should not attend the education or childcare setting until they have received advice.
Yes. Anyone who has not had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine should ask their GP surgery for a vaccination appointment.
It’s best to have vaccines on time, but you can still catch up on most vaccines if you miss them. Two doses of the vaccine are needed to ensure full protection.
If an education setting is told that a child or staff member has seen their doctor in person and been diagnosed with measles, the setting should contact the UKHSA Health Protection Team so that they can investigate and support as required. If measles is suspected by the GP or healthcare professional, they will also notify the UKHSA Health Protection Team, who may then reach out if there is a setting associated with the case.
Education and childcare settings are not expected to diagnose cases, and parents or carers do not need to contact the health protection team. If parents, carers, or staff are concerned that they or a child have symptoms, they should contact their doctor or NHS111. They should alert the surgery or other healthcare setting of symptoms before attending any appointment to prevent the further spread of measles.
For confirmed cases, schools should continue to use usual register codes for absence due to illness.
If a child needs to isolate following public health advice, the most appropriate code is likely to be an absence authorised by the school (code C).
As part of its planned changes to the attendance system, the Government is establishing a new register code to cover absences due to public health guidance.
The new code is planned to take effect from September 2024.
Schools play a vital role in improving attendance, but not all factors influencing attendance are in their control.
Ofsted will take these factors into account. Schools should demonstrate that they’re doing all they can to achieve the highest possible attendance, even if their attendance numbers are lower than previously.
Special schools and settings should also follow the UKHSA guidance.
The Health Protection Team will carry out a risk assessment of the situation based on the information provided.
They will ask the education setting to share information to help them understand the size and nature of the outbreak and the vaccination status of pupils, and advise on any recommended actions.
The MMR vaccine is the safest and most effective way to protect yourself against measles, mumps, and rubella.
Measles is a viral infection that spreads very easily and can cause severe illness, especially in certain groups including babies, small children, those who are pregnant and people with weak immunity.
The best protection against measles for children and adults is to get both doses of the MMR vaccine.
For adults, it is never too late to catch up on any missed MMR vaccinations. People should contact their GP practice to book an appointment.
Anyone considering getting pregnant should make sure that they are protected by having two doses of the MMR vaccine before they become pregnant. Unvaccinated pregnant people should make sure they are vaccinated soon after the baby is born, to protect them during future pregnancies. As a precaution, the MMR vaccine is not recommended for those who are pregnant. This is because it is a live vaccine.
If you’re pregnant and you have been in close contact with someone who has measles, you should ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111.
Anyone with an unknown vaccination history should ask their GP for a vaccine appointment. If your vaccine records are not available or do not exist it will not harm you to have the MMR vaccine again. Two doses of the MMR vaccine is the best protection against measles, mumps and rubella.
Babies who are too young to be vaccinated are not protected from measles. It is still safe for children and babies who are too young to be vaccinated to attend nursery and early years setting, unless they have been advised otherwise by a health protection team or GP.
The best way to protect children under 1, who are more vulnerable, is by ensuring other children and members of the household are fully vaccinated with two doses of MMR. This significantly reduces the risk of them passing the virus onto the young child. Early education settings can help by promoting the importance of the MMR vaccine.
Unvaccinated staff who have been in contact with measles cases may be asked to stay away from school or childcare settings for a number of days, based on a risk assessment by the Health Protection Team.
The Department for Education has no remit over sick pay, which is at the discretion of the school.
The Department for Education hosted a national webinar on the increase in measles cases, with speakers from UK Health Security Agency, the NHS, and school leaders with recent experience of dealing with a measles outbreak. The webinar covered information on measles, current epidemiology, the importance of the MMR vaccine and how to get it, and how to manage cases and outbreaks in educational settings. View this here.
MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Supporting immunisation programmes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Managing outbreaks and incidents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
UKHSA resources for settings:
Copies of printed publications and the full range of digital resources to support the immunisation programmes can be ordered through the health publications platform.
]]>No school, child or local authority is the same and school funding needs to reflect that. That’s why sometimes it can seem complicated.
Here’s what you need to know about school funding.
Most state-funded schools in England receive funding through two main funding pots which determines what the money can be spent on – revenue funding and capital funding.
Schools can decide how they spend their revenue funding. It is used to pay for the day-to-day running costs of a school, such as teacher pay, support staff pay, energy bills, minor maintenance, and teaching materials.
Capital funding is a separate pot of money used to pay for new school buildings and improvements to the school estate.
Each year, the government allocates money for all state-funded mainstream schools, including academies and council-run schools, using a formula that ensures funding is fair and reflects their pupils’ needs.
This is called the National Funding Formula (NFF) which you can read more about here.
This formula takes a variety of factors into account, such as the number of pupils a school has and how its location may affect the school’s running costs.
The funding system also protects schools against large decreases in per-pupil funding from one year to the next, giving schools stability to help their budget planning.
Schools have the flexibility to decide how to use this funding. Most of the money is spent on paying staff, but it can also be used for other costs such as classroom materials and energy.
Independent or private schools operate outside this system and raise their funding through fees.
In autumn 2022, we announced that in 2023-24, schools will get an extra £2 billion of revenue funding and the same again in 2024-25.
And in July 2023, we announced further funding for the next two academic years to support that year's teachers' pay award - with over £480 million going into schools this academic year, and over £825 million for the next.
This is on top of the £1.5 billion increase schools were already set to receive in 2023-24, bringing the overall funding increase this year to £3.9 billion, compared to 2022-23.
In March 2024, we announced an additional £1.1 billion in 2024-25 to support schools with the increase to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate.
It means that total school revenue funding in England is £60.7 billion for 2024-25.
As a result, in 2024-25 schools will receive the highest ever in real terms per pupil, as measured by the GDP deflator measure of inflation – the routine measure of public spending.
2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | |
Announced at the 2021 Spending Review | £53.8bn | £55.3bn | £56.8bn |
Additional funding announced at the 2022 Autumn Statement | +£2bn | +£2bn | |
Additional funding announced in July 2023 to support with the teachers’ pay award | +£480m | +£825m | |
Additional funding announced in March 2024 to support with teachers’ pensions | +£1,070m | ||
Total funding | £53.8bn | £57.7bn | £60.7bn |
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2019-20 the UK was the highest spender in the G7 on schools and colleges delivering primary and secondary education as a share of GDP.
The department’s published statistics on school funding over recent years provide data on funding for pupils aged 5-16. This coverage has been chosen both to capture core funding for schools and to ensure the series is as comparable over time as possible, despite changes to the specific grants allocated to schools over time.
The additional £2 billion will mean that a typical primary school with 200 pupils can expect to receive around an extra £35,000 in funding.
A typical secondary school with 900 pupils would receive an additional £200,000.
Schools can choose how they spend the additional funding, for example, on staffing, classroom materials, or other running costs.
Overall, funding for mainstream schools is increasing by around £310 per pupil this year – which is on top of the average £300 per pupil increase last year (2022-23). Additional funding for teachers’ pay is on top of this.
In total, average per-pupil funding in schools for 2023-24 is £7,460.
]]>Social workers play a crucial role and provide essential support to children and families facing a wide range of challenges, from poverty and mental health issues to domestic abuse and dealing with disabilities.
There are several fully-funded entry routes into a career in social work which allow you to train for free and earn a wage while you get the qualifications you need.
Here’s everything you need to know.
If you’re interested in improving the mental and emotional well-being of families, preventing crises, protecting children, and supporting parents, then a career in social work could be for you.
Child and family social workers work to understand the unique circumstances and challenges that families face and develop tailored care plans to support them.
Read more about the role of a social worker via the National Careers Service.
To be a social worker, you must be registered with Social Work England.
There are a range of different pathways to getting registered and becoming a child and family social worker, and several of these are fully funded.
Through an apprenticeship, you’ll earn a wage while gaining valuable on-the-job experience and working towards a recognised qualification in social work.
Apprenticeships in social work are available at different levels, allowing you to enter the profession at the right career stage for you. Eligibility requirements will depend on which apprenticeship you are applying for.
A degree apprenticeship in social work is now available, allowing you to earn a degree while gaining on-the-job experience. On completion, you will register with Social Work England as a qualified social worker.
Follow this link to find an apprenticeship in social work.
Step Up to Social Work is a fully funded 14-month, full-time programme.
If you want to become a child and family social worker and already have a degree but not in social work, you can train through this route.
Trainees on the Step Up to Social Work course gain real social work experience, knowledge and skills, in combination with academic study.
There are no tuition fees to pay, and trainees also receive a bursary.
To apply to the programme, you’ll need to have:
This is a fast-track course which means participants qualify after 14 months and will be able to register with Social Work England.
Read more about Step Up to Social Work here.
The Frontline programme is a fully-funded fast track to Social Work programme. At the end of the first year, participants will receive a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work and can register as a social worker in England.
Participants can study towards a master’s degree in social work while working with children and families, combining academic study with practical experience.
In their first year, trainees receive a bursary to contribute to living and travel costs, and typically go on to be employed and earn a salary in years two and three.
You can find out more about Frontline and apply here.
Average salaries start at £27,000 a year for a newly qualified social worker and can rise to above £40,000.
To support social workers early in their career, we’re also introducing a new framework which will give them the best start in the job.
Social workers can also access fully funded training programmes throughout their career. Explore these using a new tool for social workers looking to develop their careers.
]]>We’re making the biggest investment by a UK government into childcare in history, doubling the amount we expect to spend over the next few years from around £4 billion to around £8 billion each year.
Applications are open until 31 March for eligible working parents of 2-year-olds to receive 15 hours free childcare starting from April 2024.
From 1 April, eligible working parents whose children will be 2 or older by the 31 August, can apply to receive 15 hours childcare starting from September 2024.
And from 12 May, eligible working parents whose children will be aged between 9- and 23-months old on 31st August, can apply to receive 15 hours childcare starting from September 2024.
It’s important to remember that codes need to be renewed every three months, so parents applying close to 12 May will need to renew their code prior to the offer starting in September.
You apply online here on Gov.uk once you have checked our eligibility criteria.
You’ll need to make sure you have the following information to hand before starting the application:
You may find out if you’re eligible straight away, but it can take up to 7 days.
Once your application has been approved, you’ll get a code to give to your childcare provider.
Eligible parents are also able to access Tax-Free Childcare through the same application system. You can apply for Tax-Free Childcare at any time. However, you don't need to apply for Tax-Free Childcare to be eligible to apply for the 15 hours childcare scheme.
Once you receive your code, you’ll need to take it to your childcare provider, along with your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth.
Your childcare provider will process the code to provide your place.
Places will be available for September in every area of the country, but a significant minority of settings hold waiting lists of over six months. If you have a preferred nursery for September, you should reach out now to secure a place for your child ahead of receiving your code.
Your local authority can provide support for finding a government-funded place in your area.
Parents must reconfirm that they are still eligible for Tax-Free Childcare every 3 months.
Parents who are already claiming Tax-Free Childcare and need to reconfirm their eligibility between 1 April and 12 May will be automatically issued a code in the post from HMRC soon after the 12 May.
This is to ensure every parent can give their code to their provider in good time. This code will be valid to apply for 15 hours of government-funded childcare from September.
No. Both codes will be valid.
A parent who is already using the childcare service for another child can add a new child to their account at any time.
Your reconfirmation cycle for your current Tax-Free Childcare will not affect this.
Parents that have a preferred place for September should reach out now to their local provider to secure a physical place for their child ahead of time.
To make sure there are enough places available, we’re investing over £400 million in 2024-25 to increase the hourly rates paid to local authorities.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has independently reported that the average funding rates for two-year-olds and under 2s paid by government from April 2024 are projected to be substantially higher than the market rate paid by parents last year, and we have committed to further increases to provider rates for the next two years.
We have also committed to increasing hourly funding rates over the next two years by an estimated £500 million, to make sure providers can increase places at each phase of the rollout.
]]>Going to university is a fun and exciting time for most students – but it comes with unique challenges and stresses. We believe that all students’ mental health and wellbeing should be properly supported during their time at university.
There is a range of mental health support available to students, from online mental health and wellbeing platform Student Space to counselling and one-to-one support. Here’s what you need to know.
Students struggling with their mental health can access Student Space, a mental health and wellbeing hub supporting students.
Funded by £3.6 million from the Office for Students (OfS), Student Space provides dedicated one-to-one text and web chat support services. It’s also an online platform providing vital mental health and wellbeing resources.
This service is part of the £15 million we have asked the OfS to allocate towards student mental health in 2023/2024. This funding will also be used to give additional support for those making the transition from school or college to university, in particular through counselling services.
It will also be used to address any challenges that students may face in accessing local support services through their university, by establishing better partnerships between universities and local NHS services.
To ensure all the information is readily available for students and young people, we have put together some useful links and sources of mental health support so that everyone can get the advice and help they need. This information is available here.
We are also asking universities to take a whole university approach to mental health by setting a target for all universities to sign up to the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024.
To support this target the Office for Students (OfS) is providing £400,000 additional funding to Student Minds to support expansion of the Programme. You can read more about it on the OfS website.
Universities that are part of the University Mental Health Charter programme will be supported to make cultural change so that all aspects of university life promote and support mental health.
Both students and staff will benefit from better support for their mental health and wellbeing as a result.
The Charter Award is given to the universities that are part of the Programme members which demonstrate excellent practice in supporting student mental health.
Every student death is a tragedy and preventing suicide and self-harm in our student populations is a key priority.
So that students are better protected we have asked universities to fully implement best practice including the Suicide Safer Universities guidance, led by Universities UUK and Papyrus.
This includes guidance for universities on sharing information with family and friends in the event of a mental health crisis and practical advice on compassionate, confident, and timely support when a tragedy occurs.
Understanding student suicide data and risk factors is central to informing preventative action, which is why we have worked with the Office for National Statistics, which has published updated data and analysis.
We appointed Professor Edward Peck as Higher Education Student Support Champion in May 2022 for a two-year term and extended the appointment for another year until 31 May 2025. Professor Peck has been speaking to bereaved parents to understand where improvements can be made.
To deliver better practice in mental health support across the higher education sector Professor Peck is chairing a Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce, which will include bereaved parents, students, mental health experts, charities and sector representatives.
It has been asked to deliver a report with a plan for better early identification of students at risk, a University Student Commitment on dealing with students sensitively on disciplinary issues, and a set of clear targets for improvements in practice by providers.
Its first stage report has been published outlining progress so far and setting out new areas of focus, including improving join up between higher education and NHS mental health services. It is due to publish a second stage report by July 2024.
We have also appointed the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH) to carry out a National Review of Higher Education Suicides.
This will ensure that valuable lessons from past tragedies can be learnt to help us better protect students in future. Its findings report will be published by Spring 2025 outlining good practice and areas for improvement around suicide prevention in higher education.
Providers’ participation in the National Review of HE Suicides will be supported by the additional one-off £10m funding we have asked the OfS to allocate on mental health and hardship, which comes top of the £15 million already distributed this year on HE student mental health.
We understand that helping a friend or family member with mental health issues can be difficult. It is important that students feel supported at this difficult time. There is support in place and people who are available to listen.
If for any reason you have cause to believe that someone you know is struggling with mental health and wellbeing issues at university, we recommend following NHS guidance.
Universities have support services in place for their students which can be accessed via their website, or by looking up your university on the Student Space support pages.
]]>Every moment in school counts and days missed add up quickly. Evidence shows that pupils who have good attendance enjoy better wellbeing and school performance than those who don't.
There are only a few circumstances where a child is allowed to miss school, such as illness or where the school has given permission because of an exceptional circumstance.
However, if your child misses school without a good reason, local councils and schools can intervene and you may be issued a fine.
We’re also introducing a new national framework which will mean all councils have the same rules in place for when they need to consider a fine. We explain more on this below.
It’s important to acknowledge that children with long-term medical or more serious mental health conditions, and those with special educational needs and disabilities may face additional barriers.
For children who face complex barriers to attendance, schools should have sensitive conversations with children and families and work with them to put support in place for their individual needs.
In the majority of cases, schools and local authorities will try and provide support to help you improve your child’s attendance first, but if this isn’t effective or the absence is for unauthorised term time holiday, parents may face paying a fine.
Currently, it’s the responsibility of the local authority to decide when to issue fines to parents, meaning the process varies from council to council.
However, under the new national framework, all schools will be required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorised reasons.
From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.
This rate is in line with inflation and is the first increase since 2012.
In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.
Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.
If you’re prosecuted and attend court because your child hasn’t been attending school, you could get a fine of up to £2,500.
Money raised via fines is only used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund attendance support. Any extra money is returned to the government.
Fines are a last resort, and parents will be offered support to help improve their child’s attendance first. The vast majority of fines for unauthorised absence (89%) are issued for term time holidays.
If your child is facing barriers to school attendance due to special education needs or disabilities (SEND), schools, local authorities and wider services are required to work together to provide the right support in the first place.
Your child must attend every day that the school is open, unless:
If your child is absent and you haven’t received advance permission from the headteacher to take your child out of school, the school and local council may take action.
Before that, your child’s school and your local council are expected to support you to improve the child’s attendance before any measures are put in place.
These measures can include:
For most pupils, the best place to be during term-time in is school, surrounded by the support of their friends and teachers.
This is important not just for your child’s learning, but also for their overall wellbeing, wider development and their mental health.
We’re working with schools and local councils to improve attendance, including by introducing a new data visualisation tool to make it easier to analyse attendance, spot issues and intervene more quickly. Read more about what we’re doing to help schools improve attendance here.
]]>By the age of 12, 97% of children own a mobile phone, but the use of mobile phones in school can lead to distractions, disruption and can increase the risk of online bullying.
Many schools have already introduced rules which prohibit the use of phones at school, to help children focus on their education, and the friends and staff around them.
We’re introducing guidance which encourages all schools to follow this approach, so that more pupils can benefit from the advantages of a phone-free environment. Here’s everything you need to know.
The new guidance says that schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones, but they will have autonomy on how to do this.
Some may allow phones to be brought onto the premises but not to be used during school hours, including at breaktime.
This brings England in line with other countries who have put in place similar rules, including France, Italy and Portugal.
The guidance sets out that there will be some limited cases where pupils should be exempt from the rule.
While the majority of pupils won’t be allowed to use their mobile phones during the school day, we know that some children need their mobile phones for medical reasons, or because they have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Schools will be able to choose an approach to prohibiting mobile phones which suits them.
This could include banning phones from the school premises, handing in phones on arrival at school, or keeping phones locked away.
We’re investing £10 million in Behaviour Hubs across the country, supporting up to 700 schools to improve behaviour over three years.
Behaviour Hubs help schools that have exemplary positive behaviour cultures to work closely with other schools that want to turn around their behaviour, alongside providing access to central support and a taskforce of advisers.
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