Children's Mental Health Week 2026: Assembly Plans, Classroom Resources, and Building a Year-Round Culture of Wellbeing

The State of Children's Mental Health: What the NHS Data Shows

The NHS Mental Health of Children and Young People in England Survey 2023 — the most comprehensive national survey of its kind — reveals a concerning picture of child and adolescent mental health in England. The findings represent a significant deterioration over the past decade and have major implications for schools, parents, and safeguarding professionals.

1 in 6

children aged 5–16 have a probable mental disorder (NHS 2023)^[1]

20.3%

of young people aged 17–19 have a probable mental disorder^[1]

1 in 4

young women aged 17–22 have a probable mental disorder^[1]

72%

of children with a diagnosable condition get no help^[2]

These figures represent a sharp increase from 2017, when 1 in 9 children aged 5–16 had a probable mental disorder. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing trends, with the largest deterioration seen in girls aged 11–16, where rates of probable mental disorder more than doubled between 2017 and 2023.^[1]

Critically, the NHS data shows that most children with mental health difficulties are not receiving treatment. Referral to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) involves lengthy waits in most areas of England — the average wait from referral to first treatment appointment is 18 weeks in many trusts, and can exceed 12 months in some areas.^[3] This means schools and families are, in practice, often the primary support for a child experiencing significant mental health difficulties.

Children's Mental Health Week 2026: Key Dates and Resources

Children's Mental Health Week 2026 takes place on 3–9 February 2026 and is coordinated by the children's mental health charity Place2Be. The 2026 theme is "Know Yourself, Grow Yourself" — encouraging children and young people to develop self-awareness, emotional literacy, and a growth mindset around their own mental health.

Place2Be provides free resources for schools including:

Assembly scripts for primary and secondary age groups
Classroom activities by key stage (KS1–KS4)
A whole-school toolkit for DSLs and pastoral leaders
Parent/carer communication templates
Resources in multiple languages

All resources are available at childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk from January 2026.

What Schools Can Do: Practical Actions by Key Stage

📚 Key Stage 1 & 2 (Primary)

"Zones of Regulation" — teach children to identify and name their emotions using a colour-coded framework
Circle time conversations about feelings, friendships, and worries
Worry boxes in classrooms — physical or digital — for children to express concerns safely
Mindfulness minutes at the start of each lesson
Books with emotional literacy themes (e.g. "The Huge Bag of Worries")

📚 Key Stage 3 & 4 (Secondary)

PSHE lessons on stress, exam anxiety, and help-seeking
Anonymous worry surveys at tutor group level
Peer mentoring schemes where trained older students support younger ones
Staff "check-in" conversations built into registration or form time
Display SHOUT (85258) and Childline (0800 1111) numbers prominently in all pastoral areas

Mental Health and Safeguarding: Where the Duties Overlap

Under Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024, mental health difficulties — particularly where they are a consequence of abuse, exploitation, or neglect — are a safeguarding concern that DSLs must be equipped to identify and respond to. KCSIE 2024 makes specific reference to mental health in Part One (the reading all staff must complete), noting that "mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect or exploitation."^[4]

This means that when a child presents with depression, self-harm, anxiety, or disordered eating, the school's first response should include consideration of whether safeguarding concerns underlie the presentation — before assuming the issue is primarily clinical. The DSL must be involved where there is any safeguarding dimension.

Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs): Is Your School Eligible?

NHS England's Mental Health Support Teams are embedded in schools to provide early intervention for mild-to-moderate mental health difficulties. As of 2025, MHSTs cover approximately 50% of pupils in England — up from around 35% in 2022. If your school is not yet covered, contact your local NHS trust to understand the expansion timeline. Where MHSTs are available, the DSL should establish a clear referral pathway to ensure children in need can access support quickly.

Sources: [1] NHS Digital (2023). Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2023. digital.nhs.uk. [2] Children's Society (2023). Good Childhood Report 2023. childrenssociety.org.uk. [3] NHS England (2024). Children and Young People's Mental Health Services: Waiting Times 2024. england.nhs.uk. [4] DfE (2024). Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024, Part One. gov.uk. [5] Place2Be (2026). Children's Mental Health Week 2026: Resources. childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk.