English schools buying in mental health support has 'almost doubled' in three years

Poll finds 66% of school leaders commissioning professionals such as counsellors, up from 36% in 2016

The number of schools in England buying in professional mental health support for pupils has nearly doubled in three years, as prompt access to NHS services for those children most in need continues to be a problem, a new survey has found.

In 2016 more than a third (36%) of schools surveyed provided school-based support for students’ emotional and mental wellbeing. By 2019 66% of school leaders said they were commissioning their own professional support for pupils, including school-based counsellors.