School bar concerns

Mar 7 2008 by Abbie Wightwick, Western Mail

More pupils will be permanently barred from school unless mental health support services are improved, a survey of head teachers predicts.

The Association of School and College Leaders poll says better mental health services would improve discipline.

ASCL president Brian Lightman said, “Surveys show that mental health issues among young people are increasing in Wales and elsewhere.”

The length of time it takes to help pupils causing serious disruption means heads sometimes have no option but to permanently exclude rather than help them, he said.

A poll of head teachers, which will be released at ASCL’s annual conference today , shows short-term suspensions of five or six days are not long enough for schools to put in place the support mechanisms to help students. Referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), which may be needed to stop disruptive behaviour or other issues, can take a month and in some cases are not available.

The ASCL survey of 50 secondary schools in Wales and England, shows that 81% of head teachers reported that, once emotional and behavioural issues were identified, it took more than one month to access CAMHS support. A further 42% said it took more than three months, and 4% were unable to access any support at all.

In the same survey, 91% of secondary schools felt that more effective behaviour and emotional support would help to improve discipline and avoid more severe sanctions.

Mr Lightman will tell today’s conference, “The immense challenge of providing for the education of our most vulnerable young people are being undermined by the difficulty of accessing appropriate support services.”

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said, “The WAG is committed to developing a robust universal school-based counselling service for all children and young people in Wales.

“It is vitally important that a school-based counselling service for children and young people across Wales is independent, safe and accessible.

“More than £6.5m has been set aside between 2008-09 and 2010-11 to implement the final strategy, which will be published in the next few months. The strategy relates to formal counselling. This is one of a range of services that help to support the health, emotional and social needs of pupils.

“Many schools in Wales are already providing a counselling service. A share of £200,000 a year was provided to 10 local authorities in 2006-07 and 13 in 2007-08 to provide extra counselling.”