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Children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing are essential to learning. As part of our focus on the experiences and outcomes of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, we… Children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing are essential to learning. As part of our focus on the experiences and outcomes of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, we look at how the education, health and care systems support children with mental and emotional health needs, as well as the challenges to and opportunities for promoting good mental health and wellbeing. Responding to children’s wellbeing and mental health needs has been an even greater focus for policymakers since 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic widening the gap between the number of young people who need support and available services.
Research lead
Associate Director, Mental health, Wellbeing & Inclusion
22 results
Introduction All pupils have a legal right to a continuous education, yet many pupils spend substantial amounts of time moving in and out of the mainstream classroom. In the 2024/25 academic year alone, 94,400 pupils missed the equivalent of more…
By Lily Wielar
School uniforms have been a feature of English education since the 1550s and are deeply embedded in English culture. In contrast to some other Western countries, such as the US and Canada, uniforms are standard in most state-funded schools. They…
By Education Policy Institute
The Education Policy Institute has submitted its response to the government's consultation on 'SEND reform: putting children and young people first'. EPI's response draws on our own research in this area, as well as the wider evidence base and our…
By Education Policy Institute
Educational psychologists (EP) support the wellbeing and development of young people up to age 25. Working alongside parents, teachers, and other professionals, they identify and address learning or behavioural barriers - ensuring that children facing difficulties get the support they…
By James Zuccollo and Jo Hutchinson
Diversity in children’s strengths and needs is an inherent part of human development - yet schools policy and wider social policy have consistently failed to recognise and plan for this reality. This has been true since the Warnock Report of 1978 and the Education Act 1981 which integrated disabled children into mainstream…
By Jo Hutchinson
In this blog, we describe variation in behaviour policies and outcomes in three inner London Boroughs: Hackney, Lewisham and Tower Hamlets. Our analysis finds that the written behaviour policies of state secondary schools in these areas vary in ways that…
By Education Policy Institute
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In recent years, public debates on gender have increasingly focused on boys and men falling behind. Data from Western countries consistently show long-term gaps in educational attainment, university enrolment, and degree outcomes. Boys are behind girls on every official child…
By Whitney Crenna-Jennings, Emily Hunt, and Education Policy Institute
This new report published by the Education Policy Institute, funded by The Prudence Trust and in partnership with Youth Access, finds significant gaps in early mental health support for young people across England – and a rise in the number…
By Whitney Crenna-Jennings, Jo Hutchinson, and Education Policy Institute
Responding to the latest data release from the Department for Education on the delivery of the Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Implementation Programme, Allen Joseph, Researcher in Mental health, Wellbeing & Inclusion at the Education Policy Institute (EPI),…
By Education Policy Institute
This report assesses the progress that has been made against government targets to improve children and young people’s mental health services since 2015. Whilst some progress has been made in improving service provision, EPI finds that this has been outpaced…
By Whitney Crenna-Jennings and Education Policy Institute
Four charts which explain the state of children’s mental health in 2023 Last week, NHS England released data exploring the mental health of children and young people in 2023. Using survey responses from young people and parents and input from…
By Whitney Crenna-Jennings and Education Policy Institute
Commissioned by the Essex Education Task Force , this report investigates pupil wellbeing using the results of the first round of a short wellbeing survey that took place in May 2022. The survey, based on the Good Childhood Index, developed…
By Education Policy Institute
