Children's Mental Health Week 2026: Assembly Plans, Classroom Resources, and Building a Year-Round Culture of Wellbeing
A full guide to Children's Mental Health Week 2026 (3, 9 February) includes assembly ideas, classroom activities by key stage, the latest NHS data on child mental health, and practical strategies schools can use all year.
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 is the most comprehensive national survey of its kind. It reveals a concerning picture of child and adolescent mental health in England. The findings represent a significant deterioration over the past decade with major implications for schools, parents, and safeguarding professionals.
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. The largest deterioration was seen in girls aged 11, 16, where rates of probable mental disorder more than doubled between 2017 and 2023. [1]
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, with the average wait from referral to first treatment appointment at 18 weeks in many trusts and exceeding 12 months in some areas. [3] 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 and emotional literacy, with 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 to 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
๐ Key Stage 1 & 2 (Primary)
- " Zones of Regulation " to 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")
๐ 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 , 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. The guidance 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]
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, rather than 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 and 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 2026 , Part One. gov.uk. [5] Place2Be (2026). Children's Mental Health Week 2026: Resources . childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk.