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Written question asked by Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 10 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 July 2026. It was answered by Paul Waugh (Labour) on Monday, 3 August 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve mental health and wellbeing in young people through the expansion of Mental Health Support Teams in schools.

Answer

The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early mental health support.

As of March 2026, 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England are covered by an MHST, including 79% of pupils in state-funded secondary schools. We estimate that MHST coverage will reach 66% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.

We plan to accelerate the rollout of MHSTs in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029.

More information on MHSTs can be found at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/cyp/trailblazers/ and data for 2025/2026 can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-support-teams-coverage-and-school-and-college-experience.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
17820
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Mental health services Schools Young people
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk